roadtripper738200

PG&E’s North Shore Campground located on Lake Britton is a comfortable and clean (thanks to the great camp hosts!) campground. I wrote a short review of each camp site along with some other information that’s nice or necessary to know. It's a great place to fish and a terrific jumping off point to various destinations like the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), Burney Falls, etc. Unfortunately, the Pine Bark Beetle thrived in these forests requiring some 90+ trees to be felled, so there isn't as much shade as before. There aren't passable any trails leaving the campground or around our side of the lake due to so much deadfall, but hopefully that'll get cleaned up over time.

We easily drove our 5th wheel down the well maintained, asphalt road and around the campground without any problem. The camp hosts do a great job keeping the facilities clean and well maintained.

29 campsites with 4 vehicle overflow parking near site 11, as well as several spaces near the entrance.
https://californiasbestcamping.com/modoc/northshore.html has some additional information.
I stepped off the site dimensions, and converted them to feet, so they’re close, but not exact. First Come First Serve (FCFS) (not reservable) sites 1-6. All sites accommodate a cabover camper, so not listed below.
No hookups, no dump station, 10 water spigots, 3 sets of 2 vault toilets. Four very clean, lockable shower rooms with toilets and a cold-water sink. No electrical outlets. Showers require tokens and token dispenser only takes dollar bills, no quarters. $1 = 2 tokens = 3 minutes
20 minutes into the town of Burney for Safeway, diesel and propane refills (M-F only). A few restaurants.
All sites have some space for a tent, some more than others. Many sites have water spigots, otherwise it's just 25 yards away.

Site 1: 10’x50’. FCFS. All day shade. Closest to the showers. Not close to the lake. Flat site. Water spigot. Easy back in. Better suited for a straight in Class A, B or C (not back in) because the camp table and fire ring are located on the right side of the site.
Site 2: FCFS. 10’x60’. Water spigot across road. All day shade. The first 25’ has a steep slope, making the usable flat length 35 feet. Trees along right side may interfere with slide. Better suited for a shorter Class A, Class B, a Class C, TT.
Site 3: FCFS. All day sun. One of the longest sites measuring 10x62. Flat side to side and slight down slope to the rear. Easy back in. Camp table and fire ring on the right, so awkward for a 5th wheel and TTs with a left side door, but suitable for any Class A, B or C. Water spigot.
Site 4: FCFS. 10’x50’ overall. Steep first 25’ making it unusable except for vehicle parking. Camping area is just 10’x25’. Rear half of the camping area should have all day shade. Front half PM sun. Best suited for a Class B or C or maybe a TT. Table and fire ring on left side. Not very close to the lake.
Site 5: FCFS. 10’x55’ but a front to rear downslope the first 18’ reduces the usable camping area to about 37’. Easy back in. Table and fire ring on the right side. Better for straight in parking a Class A, B, or C. Not very close to the lake. AM sun, PM shade.
Site 6: FCFS. 10’x60’ with slight upward slope. Easy to back into. Table and fire ring on right side of site, so better for straight in Class A, B or C. Large tree at the right rear could interfere with slides or awnings. Not close to the lake. All day shade.
Site 7: 10’x62’ but 35’ of steep upslope reduces the usable camping area to the back 27’. Difficult back in. Elevated BBQ grate, fire ring and camp table are located on asphalt pad on back left of the site. A more private site backing up to the hill. All day sun. 2 vault toilets and trash cans across road. Water spigot nearby. No Big rigs. Best suited for TT’s, Class B, smaller Class C.
Site 8: An unusual site with two entrances located in the back corner of the campground. As secluded as you may find here. The right side of this corner site is for setting up your camper and measures 12’x45’. Left side of this corner site is sloped and best for parking. Highest location and best view of the lake. Near 2 vault toilets, trashcans and water. Slight down slope from front to rear. Easy back in but requires driving the one-way road in the opposite direction. All day sun. Suitable for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s
Site 9: Flat 10’x40’ site. Easy back in. Good for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s. AM sun, PM shade. Water spigot across the street. Short walk and direct access to lake. Not a beautiful camp site.
Site 10: 10’x45’ with a medium front to rear down slope. All day sun. Closest to the lake. Easy back in. Big rigs will park the tow vehicle in the 4-spot overflow parking 20-yards away. Large boulder 10 feet from the right rear of the site may hinder slides on right side. Suitable for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s
Site 11: 10’x50’. Challenging back in for big rigs. No overhead obstructions, but some large boulders on the right side of the site may interfere with slides. Water spigot on site. Toilet & trash cans across road. All day sun. Easy access to lake.
Site 12: 10’x52’. Fairly level. Easy back in if the overflow parking across the road is empty. Good view of the lake and fairly private unless other campers cut through to get to the lake. 2-vault toilets, trash cans and overflow parking close by. Water spigot across road. AM shade. PM sun. Suitable for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s. Not pictured because my 5th wheel and truck occupied the spot and I forgot after we hooked up and pulled out.
Site 13: Generally flat, 15’x45’ ADA site. Some low overhead branches may obstruct on right front. Water spigot. Table on asphalt pad behind site. 2-vault toilets and trashcans across road. Full sun.
Site 14: 10’x50’. Steep 20’ upslope reduces usability to 30 feet. Left rear tree may obstruct awning. Table and fire ring at the rear of site. Better suited for straight in smaller Class A, Class B, smaller Class C or back in travel trailers with higher rear bumper clearance. 2-vault toilets and trash cans across road. Mostly sunny with some PM shade.
Site 15: 10’x57’ with 35’ of steep upslope reduces usability to 22’. Difficult back-in unless you have great rear clearance on your Class B, small Class C, TT. Table and fire ring at the rear of the site. Beach across the road. Boaters land boats there. Full sun.
Site 16: 10’x60’ drive thru spur. Its’ curvature reduces usable space to 10’x30’. Better for Class B, smaller Class C, and TT’s. No 5th wheels or Class A. Fairly private on the camping side with direct lake access. AM shade, PM sun. Not close to toilets.
Site 17: Virtually identical to site 16. 10’x60’ drive thru spur. Its’ curvature reduces usable space to 10’x30’. Better for Class B, smaller Class C, and TT’s. No 5th wheels or Class A. Fairly private on the camping side with direct lake access. AM shade, PM sun. Not close to toilets.
Site 18: 10’x52’ with a slightly crowned center. The front half upslopes to the center. The back half slopes down to the rear. Noticeable but manageable if you have lots of levelling blocks. Full sun. Not close to toilets.
Site 19: 10’x55’ with a slight downslope from front to back. Near showers. PM shade. Not close to water spigot.
Site 20: A 10’x10’ entrance opening into a 20’wide x 34’long pad. Easy back in. All campers fit. Some large boulders on left side of site. AM shade then full sun.
Site 21: ADA site 15’wide x 20’ long. Full sun. Large boulders right rear. Class B and TT’s.
Site 22: ADA site 20’wide x 35’long with a large asphalt pad to the back left. Tight turn and large tree at front right entrance makes for a difficult back in. Smaller Class A, Class B, Class C, TT’s. No 5th wheel or large Class A. Close to showers/toilets
Site 23: Flat 10’x45’ site. Easy back in. Near showers/toilets. Water spigot across road. Full sun.
Site 24: Flat 10’x42’ site. Easy back in but some overhead branches. PM sun. Water spigot across road. Not close to toilets.
Site 25: Flat 10’x55’ site. Easy back in. Water spigot. Full sun. View of lake. Not close to toilets.
Site 26: Flat 10’x55’ site. Easy back in but 2 large trees on left side of asphalt pad will prevent awning being extended. Table and ring at back. AM sun, PM shade. Not close to toilets
Site 27: 10’x38’ site with slight left to right tilt. Easy back-in. Tree middle right and back right of site. Good for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s. Water spigot. Full sun.
Site 28: 10’x60’ site with a somewhat steep entrance and sloping upward to the rear. Tree overhangs last 12 feet. Good for 5th wheel, Class A, B, C and TT’s. Full sun.
Site 29: Flat 10’x47’ site with a twisty back in if #16 is occupied. Full sun. Water spigot.

These are, at best, overnight, or two night parking spots. Just tiny strips of grass between each site. Like 8 feet between sites tiny.
Esplanade is the adjacent street and it’s literally a drag strip. Between the rednecks flooring their old, retired, crown vic police cars, exhaust delete diesel trucks bellowing as loud as they can, to loud motorcycles accelerating as fast as they can, to siren blaring ambulances tearing down the Esplanade 150 yards away and coming to the rescue of the above disasters, it’s so loud I can’t believe anyone would willingly stay here a second time.
We were one of three “unfortunate visitors” and the only 3 “campers” in our row. They stacked us right next to each other. They couldn’t be bothered to set an empty space between us?? Nope! Pack ‘em in!!
If you love cramped and crowded camping/parking and a lot of road noise blasting through the grounds then is your place!
On the bright side, almost all of the sites are very long pull through and most have some shade or better.
I didn’t get to review the showers, bathrooms, laundry or tiny pool.

I actually kinda hated the place at first with its daily trash pickup, manicured landscapes, clubhouses, tennis and pickle ball courts, lunch time bike-to-a-restaurant group, fitness centers, numerous pools and hot tubs but it really grew on me! Everyone is very friendly, even the grouchy looking folks 😆
It seemed too much for this boon-docker but it really was amazing and I really enjoyed meeting snow birds from all over Canada and the US.
The golf course isn’t just a pitch and putt for those doubters - the tiny greens make you dial in your game! I don’t know how the grounds crew does it, but the fairways and greens are immaculate and all the same grass. No invasive grass here… AT ALL. See Lou at the starter shed to get registered for the website to reserve tee times, or just call in, but definitely play some group games. So much fun!
On the downside, they’re a little fussy about dogs, but so many people have dogs I think I made more of it than it really was.
Ramon Road is a 50mph main thoroughfare and the loud motorcycles and fast cars are clearly heard night and day, but only on the section closer to the road.
It runs about $117 per night including the $20/day resort fee and the local 12% occupancy tax. Cheaper than a hotel and so much better!

Great over nighter spot leaving the LA basin for us, but it feels remote enough that we would stay for several days. Decent birding too.
92 campsites divided over 3 loops. We found several that would fit our 35-foot fifth wheel, so no worries for the big boys. The spots aren’t necessarily level but with jack pads you’ll be fine.
If the bathroom lights weren’t so bright, you could stargaze right from your campsite. You can hear the coyotes near by, so keep an eye (and leash) on your dogs at night. Daytime isn’t a big deal.
Wife said the toilets were ok.
3-stars because it’s just a nice average state campground, but nothing remarkable.

All sites are First Come First Served. No reservations.
Overall, this is a really nice and pretty well maintained campground, except they really need to trim overhanging trees along the road and in the campsites to prevent damage to trailers and RVs. The campground is double loop shaped like a Ꝏ with campsites 1-20 in one loop and campsites 21-59 in the other loop. For some reason, their website says they have 43 sites. Several double sites for $60/night. Campsites in the 1-20 loop seem to be a little closer together than sites in the 21-59 loop, but it's not bad. There seem to be 2 or 3 camp-hosts with one right at the entrance. I nicknamed them "camp-ghosts" since we so rarely saw them.
The campgrounds asphalt roads are in great condition and run 10-12 feet wide but 10-14 feet up the trees narrow them by at least 3 feet in many places so we had some tree scraping with our SRW Ram 3500 and 35 foot 5th wheel.
All of the campsites are asphalt and in very good condition without crumbling edges, etc. All of the camp tables appear to be in good condition. From what I could see, the vast majority of campsite parking areas are level from front to back and side to side. Most are plenty long enough for a big rig and a tow vehicle. Just a couple have a slope (#57 and #58). We backed our 5th wheel into #57 with minimal difficulty, but some pine tree scraping. The only overflow parking area (if that's what that lot is supposed to be) is near the entrance.
We found the area to be a little buggy with mosquitoes (especially in the morning), small flies, and meat bees.
Site #57 is about as far from the lake as could be and it's still just a short walk to the lake via a paved trail next to site #10.
The lake is a large, beautiful trout fishing spot and the 10 mph or less speed keeps it quiet. There are areas where no powered boats allowed. The lake has ample parking with a 3 or 4 person fish cleaning station, 2 vault toilets and a boat launch. I didn’t walk around the lake but it appears there are plenty of trails and the forest is open enough you could hike all over the place. This is a great place for kids to ride bikes around the paved loops, crawl on granite boulders and explore. There's a beautiful stream and day use area on the other side of the dam.
Not a lot of vault toilets or water spigots in the campground though.
No electricity, no dumpstation.
The nearest grocer (Big Trees Market), gasoline, diesel, etc. is 45-minutes away in Arnold. Bear Valley ski resort has gasoline and maybe a small general store.
Other nearby forest roads from forest road 7N01 will take you to Utica Reservoir, Union Reservoir, Summit Lake and Elephant Rock Lake if you really want to explore. See the Stanislaus Nat'l Forest website below.
No Verizon or AT&T reception at all in the campground. Got 1-bar of LTE for both at the lake.
The wife loved it, but I wouldn't stay here again for 3 reasons. Too many mosquitos. At almost 7,000 feet I got very winded just walking to/from the lake, so that prevented me from any hiking and exploring. A long stretch of Highway 4 between Murphy's and Copperopolis is a winding, two-lane, and frequently very narrow road.

Stanislaus Nat'l Forest website for Spicer Reservoir: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recarea/?recid=14905
Campground website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recreation/recarea/?recid=83083&actid=31

The campground is shaped as a figure 8 with sites on the inside and outside of the loop. All of the sites are flat, paved spurs off the one lane, paved campground road and they’re pretty much identical except some have more shade or sun than others. It looks like they’d all take our 35-foot fifth wheel and truck, but some of the spurs are a shallower curve than others. Just decide whether you want your door or slides to open into your campsite. Look at Google maps to help plot your plan.
It’s nice that there’s decent space between each site. It’s March 1, 2024 and the grass is very long but that may change when the rains lessen.
Every site has the usual aluminum picnic table on a concrete slab, typical steel fire ring and barbecue grill and a massive green trash barrel. I didn’t see any dumpsters.
There is water every 3 or 4 sites but not all of them have threaded spigots. The very friendly camp host says it’s all potable water so just pullover near a spigot and fill up if your site doesn’t have a spigot.
The dump station is at the center of the campground on your way out.
Two sets of brand new showers and bathrooms (with plugs) on each loop. 4 showers and 4 bathrooms in each set.
So many squirrels it’s crazy! Lots of birds including robins, sparrows, hawks, geese, ducks and doves.
2 bars Verizon.
Try Me n Ed’s Pizza 👍
I hope that helps.