Recreation area

Coleman National Fish Hatchery

Fish And Wildlife Service · Anderson · California — managed by Fish and Wildlife Service

Open recreation area — no reservation needed

About this campground

Coleman National Fish Hatchery, located in Anderson, California, is the largest salmon hatchery in the contiguous 48 US states. Each year the hatchery raises over 13 million Chinook salmon and approximately 600,000 steelhead. Imagine feeding 842 metric tons of fish food per year! The Coleman NFH was established in 1942 to mitigate the loss of natural salmon spawning grounds as a result of the construction of Shasta and Keswick Dams

Getting there

The hatchery is located beside Battle Creek, about 11 miles SE of Anderson, California. Turn E off Interstate 5 at Deschutes Road, then drive 2 miles, turn right onto Balls Ferry Road, drive 3 miles, turn left on A-17, drive 1 mile to Balls Ferry Bridge on Sacramento River, turn right, drive 1- 1/2 miles then turn left at the next road and drive to the station entrance sign.

Contact
(530) 365-8622

Activities

  • WILDLIFE VIEWING
  • FISH HATCHERY
  • PICNICKING
  • FISH VIEWING SITE
  • ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Nearby federal campgrounds

Explore more California camping

Coleman National Fish Hatchery doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby California campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.