SHASTA ROAD TRIP
Mount Shasta, a potentially active volcano, is home to some of the most beautiful terrain in California. My best friend, Olivia, and I road tripped up to this area during the week and had an amazing time. Here is what we did on our trip!
Olivia and me!
CAMPING
We camped at Cattle Camp Campground in the McCloud area. This campground has 27 first-come, first-served and we happened to get so lucky that we found the only open spot available. Fees are $15/night for a single spot and $30/night for a double.
My favorite backpacking/camping tent from REI (Passage 2)
WATERFALLS
The waterfalls in this area are unbeatable, so Olivia and I wanted to visit every single notable one.
MCCLOUD FALLS
McCloud Falls consists of the Upper Falls, Middle Falls, and Lower Falls. There is a trail that connects all 3 falls together, so you can walk and explore all 3. The prettiest falls and the one that allows swimming are the Middle Falls. You can swim and cliff jump here and the water temperature is reasonable. We went on a Thursday afternoon, so it wasn’t super crowded!
BURNEY FALLS
This 129-foot waterfall is probably one of the most notable falls in this area. It’s important to bring $8 in cash for the entry fee and come earlier in the morning to avoid crowds and find a good parking spot. These falls were probably the most beautiful to look at in this area, but you can’t swim in the water due to the strong current. There is also a hiking trail after the falls that leads you back up to the main road. Definitely worth the $8!
MOSSBRAE FALLS
The first things to note about accessing these falls are being safe and respectful. Technically, these falls are located past private property and there are many signs that prevent entry, since the trail lies along railroad tracks. Because of that, here are my only tips, since I don’t want to contribute to increased traffic to this waterfall.
Park on Dunsmuir Ave, closest to Scarlet Way. Scarlet Way leads into private property, so you can only park along the main street above it.
Walk quietly down Scarlet Way towards the Cave Ave (righthand side). You will see a bridge and then railroad tracks. Once you reach these tracks, turn right and follow them down. It’s important to stay on the righthand side (closest to the Sacramento River), since the lefthand side is much more narrow and dangerous.
Walk for about 1.2 miles (15-20 minutes) until you reach the bridge. There is a small trail to the right side of a large rock that leads to the falls.
The falls are so beautiful and peaceful. The water is really cold but it is worth jumping in to refresh yourself after a hot hike!
OTHER COOL BODIES OF WATER
MCCLOUD SWIMMING HOLE
Just a .5 mile hike down from our camping spot was a trail that led to the McCloud Swimming Hole. We brought inflatable tubes with us and floated down the little river and swam in the main hole area. There was even a rope swing that we jumped off of a couple of times. This is a great little spot to swim, skip rocks, and enjoy.
LAKE BRITTON
This huge, exciting lake is located inside of the McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park, so just continue driving down the main park road and you will reach the pier of the lake. There are bathrooms and plenty of parking here to stop, eat your lunch, and swim in the water. There are even pedal boat rentals on the left side of the parking lot. Olivia and I brought our inflatable tubes here and chilled on the water for a while.
HUNT HOT SPRINGS
These hidden hot springs are an incredible phenomenon that are wonderful to enjoy. The heat from the magma comes from neighboring Lassen Volcanic National Park and creates a comfortable hot tub temperature to relax in. These hot springs are located on a private ranch, but the owner is very nice and allows visitors to come as long as if they are being respectful. Keep in mind that these springs are clothing optional, so anticipate anything.
Getting to these hot springs is definitely a directional challenge, so here are the steps to get here.
Input this location (41°02'23.6"N 121°55'45.3"W) into your maps. You have to drive down Summit Lake Road to access this starting point. This road is windy and filled with potholes, so drive slowly and cautiously. Other cars may drive faster than others and not stay on their side, so be mindful.
You will reach a bridge that indicates the beginning of the trail. Park your car off of the road in the dirt pull out spot.
Park right before this bridge. Make sure to note the “J" logo as the start of the trailhead.
3. Walk past the concrete barriers and start following the trail with the river on your right. It’s about a .4 mile (5-7 minute) walk until you reach the opening of the river.
4. Once you reach the river, hug the left side of the bank. You will pass one tiny hot spring that trickles down into the water. Keep walking forward.
5. The 3 main hot springs are right around the bend of the river. You will see them right away. These springs have man made rock pools, so you can easily sit in them and test the temperature of each. The top spring has the most comfortable temperature!
QUICK STOP: A FUN SURPRISE
LARGE JUNK ART SCULPTURES
These innovative metal sculptures were built on the Packway Materials lot and are such a fun stop if you have extra time! Getting here was very challenging, since we had no signal and our offline Google Maps kept navigating us towards off-trail dirt roads. The coordinates for this location are here. Keep in mind that if you are on highway 299 going NE, you can turn onto Cassel Road and continue driving down until you see the little parking lot for the sculptures. Google Maps will most likely direct you down dirt roads if you’re driving up 89 and 299, so make sure to find Cassel Road off of 299 to drive down a normal path.
We spent some time here looking at the sculptures, picking out our favorite ones, and trying to recognize our childhood friends (Tin Man, Jiminy Cricket).
California is truly filled with lots of natural excitement and hidden gems. Taking time to explore my home has been so rewarding and I am happy to live in a place where I am surrounded by such awesome sights!