A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Jones Valley Inlet Dispersed Area

Forest Service campground in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Shasta County, California. 1,067 feet. 8.7 miles from Shasta Lake.

Managed by
Forest Service Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Elevation
1,067 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
21 21 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Shasta County

Overview

Jones Valley Inlet Dispersed/Day Use Area is located on the Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake, it has trash and portable restrooms provided in season. This is a shoreline area and doesn't have designated sites.

This Campground is on a First Come - First Serve Basis, vistors are required to physically be at the campground to purchase and claim a site. You must also occupy the area the day you pay for it, no advance payments. We encourage our visitors to download the recreation.gov app to take advantage of the Scan & Pay Option. There is also a Iron Ranger on site that you can pay with cash or check.

Dispersed Area has no facilities and is pack in/pack out in winter months typically Mid September to Mid May - no fees are due during that time.

Recreation

A public boat ramp is located approximately 2 miles away at Jones Valley (dependent on water level), but informal mooring is allowed if the water levels are sufficient. This area is popular for water skiing and jet skiing. Lake Shasta offers excellent fishing for trout, catfish, Chinook salmon, crappie, bluegill, white sturgeon, brown bullhead and bass.

Facilities

Provided trash service and portable toilets in season. This is a shoreline area with no formal sites.

Natural Features

Shasta-Trinity is the largest national forest in California with a diverse landscape encompassing five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles of streams and rivers. Lake Shasta sits at an elevation of 1,067 feet, with 365 miles of shoreline punctuated by steep mountains blanketed in manzanita and evergreens. A snow-capped Mount Shasta, the second-tallest mountain in the Cascade Range, looms in the distance. Wildlife is abundant in the area.

Nearby Attractions

There are several attractions in the area for a list of a few view our website: Local Attractions

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • canoeing
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • paddling
  • picnicking
  • swimming
  • tubing
  • water access

The land around Jones Valley Inlet Dispersed Area

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.