Tannery

We have been longtime visitors to Trinity lake, and have camped at Tannery Gulch multiple times. This year was more crowded than most, which is fine and understandable given everyone’s desire to get out into nature. Unfortunately, that meant many dogs were present at the campground, and most were off leash. We witnessed 3 different dog fights due to wandering dogs and absent campers. We had to pull an unleashed dog out of our campsite that began to aggressively approach our leashed dog. We tried to approach the camp host, but they were not present due to a family illness. We visited their site no less than three times during the trip looking for support but no one came out of the trailer to assist. We ended up leaving early due to the concern we had for our three young children and two dogs staying in our site.

Hauva is a greet host. Bathrooms always clean. Lots of TP

Camp hosts are fantastic!

Clean campsites and facilities. Friendly hostess.

Bathrooms were very clean, multiple water spigots nearby for clean water. Our camp site had a lot of trash and someone dumped an incredible quantity of charcoal briquettes ash in our fire pit. We cleaned both up. No firewood for sale. Camp sites were spaced pretty close together but we camped on weekdays so it wasn’t super full. Lake levels are super low, so the beach is nonexistent and the boat launch is currently closed. It’s a beautiful location and will definitely be back after a more snowy, rainy year.

We had a great time! The lake is too low but the campground was nice. I had to clean the bear box. Something had leaked or spilled in it. It was a sticky mess. Other than that it was great!

Our group site was the perfect size and still private from other sites. The camp host was kind and helpful, and the location provided a variety of activities nearby. We were able to hike, swim, and explore trails all within a few minutes walk from the camp site. The nearby marina offers rentals of boats and other water toys, and the town of Weaverville has a few shops for basic needs. Overall, a fantastic experience, and I would definitely return!

Sadly, the lake is half empty right now (Summer 2021). So water sports are diminished greatly.
Nevertheless, the timeless beauty of the mountain forest remains. The wonderful pitch black nights, Milky Way strung across the sky.

The low lake doesn't bother me too much.
I'm also not a "day-tripper". As much work as camping is, who wants to then spend the day running around like a chicken with its head cut off? No, not for me. I spend most of my time within the (yuuuge) camp site just enjoying living outdoors in a beautiful forest.
The cycles of the day, meals, reading, writing, campfire, etc.
The wonderful shade the trees provide to keep the campsite tolerable even on the hottest days.

(Needless to say, I'm solo: nobody else would enjoy sitting around reading all day in a campsite!)

For food prep, I do recommend a large fully netted canopy to enclose the picnic and stove area. This can defeat the numerous bugs, especially the vexing Yellow Jackets (in the morning) and Moths (in the evening). Although it adds yet another layer of tedious work: zip in and straighten base, zip out and straighten base.

If you enjoy camping and love living outdoors, Tannery fits the bill exactly. When the lake is full, there's none better.

Chill campsite near a lake. Good access to hiking day trails. Trails were great; Trinity Alps is mostly a backpacking area, where the best hikes must be accessed by hiking in and setting camp, but there are still great dayhikes within reach. The campsite was spacious and had good amenities - no complaints.

Clean campsites, clean flush toilets. Very friendly camp host. Water level was very low in the lake, but we where able to enjoy it anyway!