Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website where we answer questions we get asked often. If you do not see the answer to your question here, consider sending us your question using the form on this page.
Otherwise, Places to Find Answers to your questions:
Sugarloaf Marina is next door. No other homes at Shasta are closer. Distance varies depending on lake level. This is a seasonal marina that is normally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Antlers marina is either 3 miles from us (when lake is high) or within sight near us when lake is lower. This is a larger marina that is open most of the year.
If the lake drops to a very low level, they at times move these marinas out of the area to deeper water. See “Marinas” section and the “lake level” section for latest information.
There are several boat ramps close to our homes. The closest is next door at the Sugarloaf Marina. If lake is low then you have to drive about 1/2 mile (also very close). If lake is 140′ or more below the top, you may need to drive to distant ramp. See “Boat Ramps” and “Lake Level” for more information.
Yes, all of our homes are Pet Friendly for dogs only, but must be disclosed, approved by the owners as we want to keep the homes very nice. We charge $95 (lowered from $120) extra per dog for your stay.
Go to the reservations page on this website and you can book direct to save some money or you can pick VRBO or Airbnb lower on the same page.
No. Although we do have garages at some of the homes, we do not make them available to our guests as we have our personal belongings in them and they are not big enough for boats. The neighborhood and marina is safe. No need for garages.
Easy 25 minute drive
Yes. See our “Availability Calendar” page on this site for current availability
NO. NO.  NO. Our rules can be found here
We try to take care of almost everything except Food, your clothing, your personal items, Shampoo, and some paper goods (plastic bags, Tin Foil, etc).
Approximately 30% of the total cost if booked direct with us. Might be 50% through VRBO or Airbnb.
Yes a simple 4 page rental agreement that we will send you for signing via DocuSign. This is to protect you and us and to avoid misunderstandings. Note: We have never had to use it as we have great guests.
There are over 600 FIVE STAR reviews on the “Reviews” page of this website.  You can also see them on VRBO, AirBnB, Google and Yelp.
Yes. $1000 to $2000 per home depending on the home. All Retreats are $1000 except Retreat 7 and 8 are $2000.  We do not charge your credit card. We just put a hold on it starting two days before you arrive and then release three days after you depart.
No. Sorry. You can have a great time…but not a loud party.  Sound travels too far and the neighbors will not tolerate. We recommend a houseboat for big loud parties. Our rules can be found here
Please review the following webpage.
Yes, all Retreats have a Washer and Dryer
We release within 3 days for all Retreats except #8 which may take up to a week.
Yes. 2-3 miles to local store in Lakehead. 25 miles to Costco, Safeway and more in Redding
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Rarely. Although we are up in the mountains and you will love it, if you want a cabin in the snow….we prefer you stay somewhere else as we do not want you to be disappointed. Most of our guests drive to Mt. Shasta to get in some snow for a day or two. It is about a 40 minute drive on good roads.
Yes at Mt. Shasta about 45 minutes away.
In a normal, non-drought year the lake will fill close to the top around memorial day. Since it is a water reservoir for California, it will drop slowly until the rains start in the winter. The distance from the house to the water will very greatly for this reason. There is always a great trail to the water. Retreat 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 10 are lakefront. In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023 the lake filled to the top by Memorial Day. We expect the same in 2024. In 2020 it was 30′ short and in 2021 it was about 100′ short. The lake can fill up very fast with a strong winter. A couple times in history (1977 and 2021) the lake level dropped to a point where it was just a river flowing by our homes. Although even at this lake level there is plenty of water in the lake to enjoy, just not in the Lakehead area. See the “Lake Level” section of this web site for the latest information.
Unfortunately not. Much of the shores of Shasta Lake are either rock or red dirt. When the lake drops to a very low level, it can be silt or mud. Great clear warm water but without the sand.
Although at some point in the future when we retire we would like this to be a source of income, currently all money received from our wonderful guests go to paying the loans, utilities, taxes and what is left over is re-invested into the homes. Our objective is that every year our guests come back they see new improvements based on their inputs
Yes. Although we have space for your boat at our homes, we highly recommend you book a slip at Sugarloaf Marina or Antlers for your stay if they are open. In 2023 they were $55 a night. We always rent a slip when we are there. See Marina and Boat Slips section of web site
Yes, all homes have Air Conditioning. Note: If outside temp is 110 plus, you might have trouble getting the temp below 75 degrees inside Retreat 1, 3, and 6 at times. Retreat 2 has two central air systems and can get the temp as low as you like.
Yes. Recently improved to a pretty fast signal that allows streaming video and more.
We have 10 vacation homes and can sleep up to 122 as of November 2023. 7 of the homes are on the same street. 2 more are a short walk. We have listings that combine Retreat 1 and 2 and also listings that combine Retreat 1, 2, 3, and 4 which provide a built in discount. We also offer multiple home discounts if you contact us.
We can support up to 200. Please see our large group section of the website
Yes, Retreat 1 & 2 share 2 Kayaks & 2 Paddle Boards (shared between the two homes). Retreat 3 has two Kayaks. Retreat #4 has two kayaks and two paddle boards. Retreat #9 has two kayaks. R10 and R19 have two paddle boards and two kayaks.  They are all complementary to our guests. In the summer months there is also a floating island in the cove for R1-R5, R10 (unless the forest rangers make us remove it). See this comparison list for more information.
No, none of the fires over the past several years have had any impact on any of our homes or the general area. Only about 10% of the shoreline of Shasta Lake was burned in 2018. Most of this is now covered by small trees and bushes. You will not even be able to tell. Here is more information that is up to date.
No, unfortunately being a smaller marina, they tend to open from about sometime in May (usually Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. A larger marina is 3 miles from our homes which is Antlers. Please note as the water level drops, Antlers moves their marina many times down to Sugarloaf. If the water drops to 140′ down, the marinas start to move out of this area. Call them for additional information. See our “Marinas” page for more information. See “Lake Level” page for the latest on this topic.
Go to dedicated section for each Retreat on this website. Some have.
Yes, we also manage properties for other owners. Four of the homes belong to our family. Two of these by Lori and Dave and Retreat 3 is owned by our sons plus Retreat 9 is owned by multiple family members. All the others are different owners but we brand them under the Shasta Lakeshore Retreat and provide the same great level of service.
Full refund for cancelations 60 days prior no questions asked. For more information please see our web page call “Cancelation Policy“
Yes, as long as the home fits our quality standards and we believe we can work with the owners. Please review the “Property Management” section of the website. We encourage you to view the voice over presentation on this page.
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