Mt. Shasta-Cascade Loop - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 142

Shasta Lake Dam, massive and imposing, is one of the nation's largest concrete structures.
2. Shasta Lake
ThedriveheadsduenorthonI-5toShastaLake,afavoriteofbothboatersandwater-skiers.
Shaped like an oddly fingered hand, with each digit stretching toward an incoming river,
the lake was created by Shasta Dam. Massive and imposing at more than 600 feet high, the
damranksasoneofthenation'slargestconcretestructures.Thelake'szigzaggingshoreline
is a mix of red-clay cliffs and foothills cloaked with pines and manzanita. To visit the dam,
ShastaDamexit,travel7milesnorthofReddingonI-5,andcontinuethroughShastaLake.
Shasta Dam Blvd. will lead you to a panoramic view of the region.
3. Lake Shasta Caverns
At exit 695, 10 miles beyond the turnoff to Shasta Dam lies the small community of Lake-
head,thejumping-offpointfortoursofthesecaverns—acacheofhiddenbeautythatrivals
the area's more conspicuous wonders. The trip begins with a 15-minute catamaran cruise
across Shasta Lake, followed by a short hop on a bus that climbs to a simple, nondescript
door.Behindit,though,liesasurrealdisplayofgeologicart:aninterioradornedwithfluted
columns, white spires, and crystallized stalagmites—all built slowly, drip by drip.