Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Castle Crags State Park
The stars of this glorious state park alongside Castle Crags Wilderness Area are its soaring
spires of ancient granite formed some 225 million years ago, with elevations ranging from
2000ft along the Sacramento River to more than 6500ft at the peaks. The crags are similar
to the granite formations of the eastern Sierra, and Castle Dome resembles Yosemite's fam-
ous Half Dome.
Rangers at the
park entrance station
( 530-235-2684; per car $8)
have information and
maps covering nearly 28 miles of
hiking trails
. There's also
fishing
in the Sacramento
River at the picnic area on the opposite side of I-5.
If you drive past the campground, you'll reach
Vista Point
, near the start of the strenuous
2.7-mile
Crags Trail
, which rises through the forest past the Indian Springs spur trail, then
clambers up to the base of
Castle Dome
. You're rewarded with unsurpassed views of Mt
Shasta, especially if you scramble the last 100yd or so up into the rocky saddle gap. The
park also has gentle
nature trails
and 8 miles of the
Pacific Crest Trail
, which passes
through the park at the base of the crags.
$35)
is one of the nicer public campgrounds in this area, and very easily accessible from the
highway. It has running water, hot showers, and three spots that can accommodate RVs but
have no hookups. Sites are shady, but suffer from traffic noise. You can camp anywhere in
the Shasta-Trinity National Forest surrounding the park if you get a free campfire permit, is-
sued at park offices. At the time of writing, the future of this state park was uncertain be-
cause of budget issues.
McCloud
This tiny, historic mill town (population 1101) sits at the foot of the south slope of Mt
Shasta, and is an alternative to staying in Mt Shasta City. Quiet streets retain a simple, easy-
going charm. It's the closest settlement to Mt Shasta Board & Ski Park and is surrounded by
abundant natural beauty. Hidden in the woods upriver are woodsy getaways for the Western
aristocracy, including mansions owned by the Hearst and Levi Strauss estates.
