Is it dangerous camping at California's Whiskeytown Lake Oak Bottom Campground ?

I just got back from a meeting with the supervisor of Oak Bottom Campground and Marina at Whiskeytown lake in California who I perceived as threatening me with physical violence for telling you folks about what goes on at Oak Bottom campground when I was a security guard there. "Nobody is coming to the campground or lake because of my internet bad mouthing".he says.

I call it the truth or better yet a testimony.

Im thinking its the head and other body parts free floating in the Whiskeytown lake but what do I know. Needless to say he has bought himself an internet recap of my experiences there because I believe there are serious safety issues.

“Despite the exhaustive efforts made to locate both of Bridget Jacobs’ hands and head, they remain unrecovered,” Edwards said in a written statement.


1 There is allegedly  a Memorandum of Understanding with Oak Bottom Campground and Marina concessionaires that Whiskeytown Law Enforcement Park Rangers respond after hours to the campground when security calls and needs help. On three separate occasions when I called National Park Service dispatchers in SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, ( Whiskeytown has no night dispatchers? ) needing help for guests of the campground, they called me back saying they went down list and none of the Rangers would wake up, get out of bed and answer the phone in my opinion causing a serious delay in response time. After one incident like this a Whiskeytown Park Ranger apologized saying they all didn't answer their phone because they had a planned Marijuana raid early that next morning and needed their rest !!! Shasta County Sheriff or Highway patrol would have to respond. The area by the way should be absorbed by the Sheriffs dept for law enforcement purposes. I think it is due to piss poor management at Oak Bottom that these park "Rangers" legally cannot be set straight . Just my opinion.

2 The campground according to another supervisor of Oak Bottom has said they have had shootings and stabbings occur IN THE PAST THAT YOU NEVER SEEM TO SEE OR HEAR OF IN THE MEDIA. A sheriff who responded to a call late one night told me he moonlights as a security officer at campgrounds at Shasta Lake and said they "NEVER ' have this many problems and that he as well as another park ranger said they would not want my job for nothing. I must ask myself is this because of years of piss poor management?

3 Although I complained over and over the lights where you park your boats, cars, and expensive camping gear are solar powered with inferior batteries that all go out about 130 to 2 in the morning leaving those objects I have described in PITCH BLACKNESS. The campground, parking lots, marina, boat and RV parking all have this problem. I must ask myself again is this because of years of piss poor management?

4 Upset, Chief Law Enforcement officer for Whiskeytown at the time Chris Mengel, gave me his card, upset at situation and that I should call him........Nothing

One man with nothing more than a flashlight from 6 pm till 230 am is what is between YOU camping and some of the most absolute scariest freaks camping out at Oak Bottom known to man....... A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE !!

I think if I was camping at Oak Bottom campground I would NOT FEEL SAFE unless the Security Guard was packing a gun for guests immediate protection.... Change desperately needs to occur. Huge safety issues and what I think are years of piss poor management concerned with nothing more than the dollar bottom line. I think that you enter and stay at Oak Bottom campground you camp at your own risk !!! Just My Opinion.

Meet Redding's "Catwoman"

A gentle homeless soul in her 70's who loves to collect money to feed her stray animal friends.

Homeless for the majority of 16 years, she camps out in the wooded area by the Sacramento River known as the Henderson Open Space. Recently she alleges that Bob Brannon, community work program officer for the Redding California Police Department has threatened to arrest her if she dident leave the Henderson area, and that she would loose her beloved pet dog, and that he was sick of cleaning up after her.

"Catwoman" is a very warm and easy to talk to individual. She loves to feed and take in unwanted stray dogs and cats, and it is said that she has developed a relationship with wild animals as well, feeding turtles and baby skunks as they rub up against her like baby kittens. Unfortunatly when Bob Brannon discovers and raids her camp, he throws away pounds of Cat and Dog food, as well as any survival homeless camping gear she has managed to obtain.



"Catwoman" is a cancer survivor, and unfortunatly needs a constant supply of colostomy bags to maintain her health. The last thing this dear homeless senior citizen needs is a threat of arrest, and the loss of her beloved pet dog hanging over her head.


If you agree that homelessness is not a crime and Catwoman is not a criminal then please take the time to call the Redding Police Department at (530) 225 - 4200 and ask for Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti.


Let him know that this is not Stockton, that we here in Redding are compassionate to our homeless senior citizens, and until Redding California and Redding Rotary is willing and able to provide adequate shelters and affordable housing for the growing numbers of homeless folks free of homeless camping tickets,criminalization and evictions that Henderson Open Space is big enough for everybody to share.