Snow is falling in Siskiyou! And as iconic Mount Shasta welcomes an average of 80 inches of powdery snow every year, the 2024/25 season has seen a whopping 196″ of snow so far! Siskiyou is the ultimate destination to get in on all of the winter fun and without the crowds of some other destinations!
Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing
Cross-country skiers will find excellent conditions at the Mt Shasta Nordic Center and Snowshoeing is a growing winter sport. The best places for snowshoeing are at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta, and around Castle Lake in the Eddys west of I-5. There’s also the Mount Shasta Nordic Center that offers a 7.5 mile trail network of snowshoe-packed trails that is also open to Nordic skiers – and dogs!
Backcountry Skiing & Snowboarding
Mount Shasta has excellent upper mountain access via Everitt Memorial Highway, which is plowed in the winter all the way to 7000 feet. This leads to two of the most popular backcountry areas: Sand Flat Trailhead and Bunny Flat Trailhead. Experienced backcountry skiers will find Mt. Shasta an exceptional adventure. Several other surrounding mountains also afford similar solitary adventures, including the ever-popular Eddys and the more remote Scott Mountain. You can also ski to a backcountry cabin for the night – check in with the Mt. Shasta Ski Park for more information.
Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding & Tubing
The Mount Shasta Ski Park added a new chairlift in 2023 which expanded their skiable terrain to 635 acres. Night skiing on 14 trails have become a must do at the ski park. It’s also becoming known as one of the best off-trail riding areas in the West, complete with fun and unique opportunities for snow tubing and half-pipes, with a challenging natural and manmade Terrain Park, as well as a beginner Terrain Park on the Marmot Ridge trail.
Sledding
Casual sledding is an important mainstay of local winter fun – just make sure to stay on public land and bring your own sled or rent one beforehand (some gear rental options below). But two of the most popular established sled spots are Snowman’s Hill at the summit of Hwy 89 between Mount Shasta and McCloud, and Bunny Flat at the top of Everitt Memorial Hwy. Check out this other blog post with other epic sledding spots: Sledding Siskiyou Style – Discover Siskiyou
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling the backcountry in Siskiyou is a thrill ride through some of the most pristine and wild winter scenery in Northern California. There are four interconnected snowmobile parks in Siskiyou County, all with warming huts, restrooms, loading ramps and parking areas, and 260 miles of groomed and well-maintained trails (not to mention countless other unmarked, natural trails for more adventurous riders). At the Deer Mountain Snowmobile Park off Highway 97 you’ll find Fun Factory Rentals offering snowmobile rentals and tours, including full moon rides, skiing and snowboarding. Access to the three other snowmobile parks can be found at Pilgrim Creek off of Highway 89, The Medicine Lake Highlands in East Siskiyou and the Doorknob Snowmobile Park off of Forest Road 49, one and a half miles south of Lava Beds National Monument.. Note: If you’re riding your own snowmobile, you will need a permit and a helmet.
Ice Skating & Hockey
Siskiyou even has its own ice rink – in fact it has the largest outdoor ice rink on the west coast that comes with breathtaking panoramic views of Mount Shasta, the Eddys and Black Butte. Located in Shastice Park behind Mount Shasta High School, it’s open November through March. On Saturday and Sunday you can even join a pick up game of ice hockey. Skate rental and hot drinks available on-site.
Ice Fishing & Steelhead
High elevation mountain lakes and cold temps make for incredible ice fishing in Siskiyou. Some of the more popular standouts are Castle Lake in Mount Shasta and Kangaroo Lake past Callahan. But numerous spots like Juanita Lake in the eastern half of the county has the added bonus of some of the best winter bird-watching in the country. If you want the rush without the ice, test your luck with the hard-fighting Steelheads on the Klamath River along Highway 96 where 10-pound fish are landed every winter.
