Get Out There

“Castle Peak” lies between Castle Crags and the Trinity Divide and this is the location that has given the mountain its unofficial name at the edge of Crags as well […]

Just west of the Scott River on Kelsey Creek you pick up the Kelsey National Recreation Trail.  Today the trail serves as a popular day hike to Paradise Lake and […]

To get to the trailhead the “upper” and “lower” Sand Flat Road can be used. The same routes can be accessed as the Bunny Flat trailhead using the Sand Flat […]

Mount Shasta Ski Bowl opened in 1958 and in 1978 an avalanche took out the lifts leaving it no longer operating, but it is still an amazing place to visit. […]

A moderate 4.6 mile trail. Incredible views throughout. The route follows snow-covered Everett Memorial Highway to its terminus at the Old Ski Bowl.

A 3 mile trail up Spring Hill at the north end of Mount Shasta City. Vistas offer views of the Trinity Divide, Strawberry Valley and Mount Shasta.

For a little taste of waterfalls and wilderness, head to the aptly named Dog Trail in the Castle Crags Wilderness area.

Box Canyon, is an easy 1.5 mile trail with lots to offer and close to the Sacramento River. It offers many vistas down into the canyon, it is a nice relaxing […]

The McCloud River flows east of and parallel to the upper Sacramento River, in Siskiyou County and Shasta County in Northern California.

Klamath National Forest is a 1,737,774-acre (2,715 sq mi; 7,033 km2) national forest, in the Klamath Mountains, located in Siskiyou County in northern California,

Near Tulelake, California is Glass Mountain which is a 4.9 mile round trip trail with moderate traffic. Glass Mountain offers beautiful views and mostly used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding which is […]

The Castle Dome Trail climbs through forested area before popping you out between Castle Dome and the Crag’s eastern face.

The Castle Crags are a very difficult area to see due to no trails going into the spire covered heart of granite making the viewing difficult. There are some trails […]

North of Redding in Dunsmuir there is a waterfall called the Hedge Creeks Falls. Hedge Creek runs off into the Sacramento River and is very popular due to its close proximity to I-5 making it a ideal stopping […]

Mt. Bradley Lookout is a moderate to difficult hike with two attractive lake destinations along the way – dramatic Heart Lake and pastoral Little Castle Lake.

Lake Siskiyou is located in Northern California at the foot of the Trinity Divide. It has amazing views of Mount Shasta and is not far from the city that boasts many outdoor activities. Swimming, non-motor […]

The trail winds its way around the north side of the pinnacle of Black Butte, revealing amazing views en route to a 360 degree vista at the summit.

A mile hike uphill to a lookout that’s complete with a picnic table and a beautiful view of Happy Camp.

Remember that wilderness safety is your responsibility. It is important to realize you may not be able to rely on a cellphone for help and the wilderness has unforeseen risks […]

With majestic views of Mt. Shasta and typically still water, Lake Shastina is a great place for water recreation in Siskiyou, especially spring and summer. 

The Whitney Falls Trail is a hiking trail that leads to an overlook of Whitney Falls. There are four waterfalls on Mount Shasta, this being one. The Whitney Falls Trail […]

A long traverse of the lower section of the stunning Castle Crags on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Up the side of the Goosenest is the Goosenest Trail. It is a short but very steep hike up the side of a volcano with a large crater. It is an outstanding view of […]

You can get to Horsetail falls by car to admire the marble-white cascade and see a much smaller cascade a half a mile north, Ponytail Falls. If you want to […]

A popular destination for visitors to Castle Crags State Park is the scenic overlook at the end of Vista Point Trail.

Two towns in California, Burney and McCloud, will be linked by the Great Shasta Rail Trail when done, along an 80-mile scenic trail. Along this trail the culture, local heritage, nature and the […]

A moderate 15 mile mountain bike trail that provides three to five hours of riding time. Experience elevation gains and descends on this trail.

A nice hike to a lake near Mt. Shasta stocked with trout.

Start at the Soda Creek Trailhead for a pleasant walk on the PCT in the woods leading to Root Creek […]

Eighty-nine lakes, magical meadows, and big streams are what encompass the Marble Mountain Wilderness. The wilderness is surrounded by a variety of trees, dominated by tanbark oak, madrone, and Douglas […]

Petroglyph Point Trail starts on the east side outside of Petroglyph Point. Across from the trail entrance you will see the trailhead parking lot where you will then hike to the top […]

Pacific Crest Trail from Parks Creek Trailhead can be reached from a paved road about 30 miles from Mt. Shasta Ranger Station. Going south on the Pacific Crest Trail, there is level 2 […]

Ash Creek Falls is one of the finest falls in California. It is set far back in Ash Creek Canyon as the waterfall makes a huge scene, gushing over the […]

On the border of the Modoc National Forest and Lava Beds National Monument is the Gillem Bluff, a low elevation ridge sitting between 4400 feet and 4600 feet in elevation. There are no trails on this part of the […]

The Trinity Divide, Heart Lake Trail is short and offers great view. The amount of alpine terrain and vistas is hard to come by. It starts at the Castle Lake […]

Panther Meadow Loop Trail gives great views of Mount Shasta. Spring water flows through alpine meadows full of wildflowers. Please stay on the trail due to fragile plants and do […]

A beautiful community park with an expansive stretch of lawn.

The Modoc National Forest is a 1,654,392-acre (6,695 km2) national forest in northeastern California.

Sisson Meadow finds many people enjoying the views and nature of this wetland. It is a 7.5 acre beautiful well-known spot in Mt. Shasta. The land got purchased in 2003 and since […]

Driving to Bunny Flat is still easy, despite the closing of the Everett Memorial Highway. You can hike the Green Butte Ridge Trail or the path to Horse Camp. Right now […]

Carrick Park located off Highway 97 on Maple Street. This neighborhood park is a 3 acre green haven.

There is a volcanic dome called Haystack in the California, Shasta Valley. The valley is a lot less traveled as people just want to get to the high country and pass through. Many people […]

A trailhead that no one goes on is called Sand Flat at 6,830 feet. Just before Bunny Flat you can access it off of the Everett Memorial Highway. Both the upper and […]

Ukonom Creek is a cold, clear creek that feeds the Klamath River, and was named after a Karok chief.

A 5.5 mile multi-use trail with views of the Klamath River, located just 2 miles south of Happy Camp.

The Scott Mountains are one of the least known mountain ranges, but most beautiful in the Mount Shasta area. There are rugged peaks, scenic geology and many lakes an meadows. The […]

The McCloud Area offers fishing, hunting, swimming, camping, hiking, photography opportunities, and breathtaking scenery. As suspected, during the winter months, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, and skiing are the main […]

Heading out to Etna Summit?  Expect great views and cooler temperatures than the Scott Valley below.

A good example of dry and wet high elevation meadows is the Little Shasta Meadow Botanical Special Interest Area that is 290 acres. Alongside the Forest Service road 46N09 about 1.6 miles […]

One of the least known waterfalls in the Mount Shasta area is Wagon Creek Falls. It is not thought about much, it gets lost amongst all the other beautiful waterfalls. […]

The Castle Lake Shore Trail begins through brush and rocks as it goes around a little part of the lake. The trailhead is at the north end of the parking […]

The Sisson-Callahan National Recreation Trail is a multi-use trail that follows the scenic North Fork of the Sacramento River for 3.3 miles.

Root Creek Falls is a large, multi-tiered waterfall that spills 500+ feet over the granite Castle Dome just south of Dunsmuir in the Castle Crags wilderness area.

A moderate 6 mile trail. Enjoy the views of Castle Crags, Mount Shasta, and an endless vista of range and valley.

There is a short, but great hike in Shasta Valley to take you to Trout Lake. It has stellar views all around and highlights the high desert scenery.

What Sweetbriar Falls lacks in size, it makes up for in ease of access and steady flow.

A great hike up a cinder cone volcano that offers views of the surrounding wilderness. A hike to the Schonchin Butte Fire Lookout is worth the effort!

The most interesting trail on Mount Shasta is the Squaw/South Gate Meadow Trail. There are not many developed trails on the mountain which is surprising based off of the size. Most trails follow old […]

River Park, in Happy Camp provides a scenic city park with green grass, a shaded pavilion and handy access to the refreshing Klamath River.

Burstarse Falls is actually a pair of beautiful waterfalls located in the Castle Crags Wilderness about a quarter mile off the PCT.

Bask in the views of surrounding mountains while hiking on Mount Shasta.  The far-reaching panoramas are abundant along every trail on the mountain.

Gray Butte Trail is a moderate 3.5 mile round trip out of Panther Meadows that passes a sacred Native American site and old-growth forest on the way to an expansive […]

Castle Lake trail is one of the longer hikes in the greater Mount Shasta area encompassing 11 miles round trip, and is so worth it due to the amount of lakes and […]

Medicine Lake sits in the caldera of an ancient volcano and is 30 miles Northeast of Mount Shasta. The last time that the Medicine Lake Volcano erupted was nearly 1,000 […]

This short hike enters a lush canyon, home to 19th century ruins a well-developed rock climbing area, a crashing creek and a beautiful waterfall.

The Bunny Flat Trail is where snowmobilers can head into the Old Ski Bowl area, it accesses all routes for climbers and hikers on the south and west sides, and […]

The development of a broad shield volcano formed the Medicine Lake Highlands. When the center block happened to fall along the fractured lines it created an enclosed basin 6 miles […]

Shasta Mountain Guides is the original climbing guide service on Mt. Shasta and leads the highest quality trips and expeditions on the mountain. For over 40 years we have shared […]

SWS Mountain Guides is a mountaineering guide service in Mt. Shasta, Ca.

Following East Boulder Creek, the East Boulder Lake Loop takes you through a wide shallow canyon. Going through meadows the creek follows along. The route crosses the wilderness boundary into the Trinity Alps […]

In the Trinity Alps Wilderness there are approximately 550 miles of trails around. A lot needs to be maintained, but the maintenance also varies on the patterns of the trails, wilderness preservation […]

On the southwest face of Mount Shasta is where you will find Clear Creek, the main route. This route has an easier slope than Avalanche Gulch and has amazing views, […]

A rarely traveled trail that passes through lake basins, meadows and descends through a large canyon alongside the North Fork of the Sacramento River.