Laws & Policies

Follow park rules and regulations so that you don't end up in the back of one of these - a Whiskeytown National Recreation Area law enforcement ranger vehicle. NPS Photo/Jeremiah Hockett.

Each year, several visitors go to jail, go to the hospital, or worse, because they didn't abide by park rules. Please be safe and please be responsible in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Don't become a statistic...

To ensure the safety of visitors, employees and park resources, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has enacted laws that come from the U.S. Department of the Interior Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) and from the Superintendent's Compendium. If you are unclear on any regulatory information, please review the information and links below. You may also contact the Chief Law Enforcement Ranger at 530-242-3413. Please help us protect the park and provide enjoyment for all visitors by abiding by all of Whiskeytown's rules and regulations.

Temporary Closures due to the Carr Fire - due to ongoing safety and geologic hazards within areas of the Carr Fire burn scar, large sections of the park remain closed to the public.



Some Common Rules & Regulations of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

• An Entrance Pass is required to visit the park.
• Alcohol is not permitted at Brandy Creek Beach, Oak Bottom Beach, East Beach, and the Whiskey Creek Group Day Use Area Beach.
• Dogs are required to be on leash within the park.
• Dogs are not permitted at Brandy Creek Beach, Oak Bottom Beach, East Beach, and the Whiskey Creek Group Day Use Area Beach.
• The use of marijuana is not permitted within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
• Drive cautiously and do not drive above posted speed limits.
• Smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes are prohibited in the park except for in your vehicle, on your boat, in your campsite, or at the designated smoking areas at Brandy Creek Beach parking lot, Oak Bottom Beach parking lot, and the Visitor Center parking lot island.
• On the water, individuals 13 years of age and older must have a lifejacket (personal flotation device) onboard with them on all vessels (this includes kayak and paddleboards).
• On the water, individuals 12 years of age and younger must wear a lifejacket (personal flotation device) onboard with them on all vessels (this includes kayaks and paddleboards).
• Several areas of the lake are closed to boating or have low speed limits (no wake zones). Please refer to the park map for details.
• If you see something strange going on in the park, please call park dispatch at 530-242-3431.
• In an emergency, dial 911.

 

Alcohol

36 CFR §2.35 - Alcoholic Beverages and Controlled Substances (a)(3)(i)

The following public use areas, portions of public use areas, and/or public facilities within the park are closed to consumption of alcoholic beverages, and/or to the possession of a bottle, can or other receptacle containing an alcoholic beverage that is open, or has been opened, or whose seal has been broken or the contents of which have been partially removed:

• Oak Bottom swim beach, adjacent parking area, picnic areas and grounds and lake within the swim area buoys

• Brandy Creek swim beaches, adjacent beach parking areas, picnic areas and grounds and lake within designated buoys.

• Whiskey Creek day use (reservation) picnic area, beach, access road and parking lot and lake within the swim area buoys

• East Beach and adjacent grounds and parking area and lake within the marker buoy line.

Pets

36 CFR 2.15 (a)(1)

The following structures and/or areas are closed to the possession of pets:

• Whiskeytown Visitor Center

• Whiskeytown Headquarters Building

• Camden House

• Brandy Creek Beach

• Oak Bottom Beach

• East Beach

• Whiskey Creek Group Picnic Area Beach

Horses
36 CFR 2.16 (b)

The use of horses or pack animals is allowed on the following trails, routes or areas:

• All trails, routes or areas within Whiskeytown NRA, excepting:

• • Oak Bottom Campground, Beach, Launch Ramp, Marina and day use parking lots

  • Whiskey Creek Launch Ramp, Picnic Area and parking lot

  • Brandy Creek Marina, Beaches, day use parking lots and Self Contained Recreational Vehicle camping area

  • Whiskeytown Environmental School (N.E.E.D. Camp)

  • Dry Creek Campground

  • Whiskey Creek Group Picnic Area

  • Overlook Visitor Center parking lot and lawns area

  • Headquarters parking lot and lawns area

  • All portions of the Shasta Divide Trail, between Kennedy Memorial Drive and Whiskeytown Lake

  • All portions of the Davis Gulch Trail between the trailheads at Kennedy Memorial Drive and the Brandy Creek Day Use Area

  • Those portions of the Crystal Creek Canal Trail adjacent to the Oak Bottom Recreation Complex, as delineated on a diagram, attached to this document and available for inspection in the office of the Superintendent

  • All portions of the Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail

  • All paved roadways, except to cross at right angles
    

Hunting
Hunting is prohibited on the following land areas within Whiskeytown Unit, as defined and drawn onto this geo referenced map.

Refer to the maps for specific boundaries of areas impacted by these closures and restrictions. In all cases, hunting (as defined under 36 C.F.R. 1.4 (a)) and/or discharge of any weapon within 300 feet of any structure, designated camping area or other developed recreation site is prohibited.