Located in CA.
Whiskeytown Lake’s crystal-clear waters are iconic, but this 42,000-acre National Recreation Area offers much more. Explore waterfalls, hike rugged trails, uncover Gold Rush history, and witness the resilience of nature in its post-fire recovery. Adventure awaits at every turn—Whiskeytown is calling!
Use this page to check live NPS alerts, weather, things to do, events, fees, campgrounds, and build a day-by-day itinerary with Trailie.
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Trailie
Tell Trailie your dates, pace, and interests — get a day-by-day Whiskeytown National Recreation Area plan with hikes, drives, and must-see stops.
Explore this park
To protect park infrastructure and visitors during this hot, dry period of year, wood and charcoal/briquette burning is temporarily banned. Propane grills are still okay. Thank you for recreating responsibly in your national recreation area.
Hey Boaters, please clean, drain, and dry your vessel completely before setting out on Whiskeytown Lake. Thank you for doing your part to keep the Golden Mussel, an aquatic invasive species, out of the reservoir. Learn more about preventative measures.
Common questions
The summary above covers timing and highlights. These go deeper on reservations, crowds, and logistics — check Alerts and Permits for live updates.
TrailVerse lists 4 reservation types on the Permits tab, including Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Ranger Guided Programs and 1. Rise and Shine Kayak Tour (9am-11:30am). Recreation.gov listings can change seasonally — confirm current rules before you set dates.