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Marble
Mountains, California
Gleaming white in the Mount
Shasta Country boasts a variety
of hiking opportunities - from
short walks through community
parks to river trails to a long
section of the Pacific Crest
Trail. When planning an extended
hike please remember to pack
sunblock, clothing for weather
changes, snack food, drinking
water and personal first aid
gear. On short hikes remember
slip, slap, slop - slip on a
T-shirt, slap on a sun-hat and
slop on the sunscreen. Contact
local ranger stations (listed in
the Information Centers at our
Services pages) for maps and
trail information.
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The Pacific Crest Trail
(PCT) has been called the
jewel in the crown of
America's scenic Trails,
spanning 2650 miles from
Mexico to Canada through
three western states. In
northern California, the
trail follows the Hat Creek
Rim from Lassen National
Park to the Mount Shasta
area. Rather than crossing
the dry Cascades north of
Mount Shasta, the trail
heads west, crossing the
Upper Sacramento River and
Interstate 5 near Castle
Crags. Continuing northwest,
it touches the northern
boundary of the Trinity
Alps. The trail reaches
7600' elevation and winds
north through the Marble
Mountains before descending
to the Klamath River.
Leaving California, the PC
climbs again to the crest of
the Siskiyou Mountains and
traverses east, entering
Oregon near Interstate 5's
Siskiyou Summit. |
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Marble Mountain Wilderness
Area
Numerous trailheads and access
trails, as well as the Pacific
Crest Trail, lead to the
magnificant white marble, lakes
and wildflower meadows alpine
basins in Marble Mountain
Wilderness. This 250,000 acre
region was one of California's
first designated wilderness
areas. You can be completely
alone in rarely visited Tichner
Hole, or join the "crowds"
(perhaps a dozen or so on a busy
weekend) camping at popular Sky
High Valley in the geologically
diverse Scott River District of
the wilderness area. Visit the
Ukonom District location of
Sugarloaf Mountain, which is
considered to be the center of
the earth by the Karuk Indian
Tribe. Hike or horseback ride
through thick forests to
subalpine glacier basin lakes in
the Happy Camp District at the
northwest corner. Bring your
fishing pole; 89 lakes are
stocked with trout! Contact the
Klamath National Forest at
530-842-6131 for trail maps and
a campfire permit. No wilderness
permit is required.
Around Mount Shasta
Backpacking the slopes of Mount
Shasta, hikers will discover
many areas of incredible high
alpine beauty. The North Gate
area is reached from Weed;
Hidden Valley and the west face
are usually accessed by passing
Horse Camp above Bunny Flat on
the Everett Memorial Highway;
the trail to Squaw Valley starts
from the Old Ski Bowl area
higher on Everett Memorial
Highway. A wilderness permit is
required above 8,000 feet.
Day Hikes:
Mount Shasta Country, nested in
the shadow of one of America's
tallest and most beautiful
mountains, has an abundance of
delightful hiking destinations
for one-day outings. From south
to north Siskiyou County, here
are but a few, easily accessible
to the traveler and breathtaking
in their offerings. It is hardly
necessary to remind you of the
remarkable nature of these
places, and the importance of
giving them special care. Take
nothing away but your
photographs and leave nothing
behind but your memories of the
beautiful outdoors.
Castle Crags
Castle Crags State Park on the
southern edge of Siskiyou County
has a network of hiking trails,
many of which are open year
round. For enthusiastic
climbers, Crags Trail offers
splendid views of the Crags and
Mount Shasta after a 3 mile hike
with 2,200 feet of elevation
gain. For a less strenuous hike,
Indian Creek Trail is a one mile
loop with a self-guided nature
walk that crosses over Indian
Creek twice. A brochure and map
are available at the Visitor's
Center when you enter the Park
and pay the very reasonable day
use fee. The Park is known for
is wildflower and wildlife
viewing opportunities, which
include frequent sightings of
tiger lilies, fragrant western
azalea and 13 species of
orchids. Stick around for
evening campfire talks every
Saturday through the summer at
8:30PM. A detailed description
of this hike to Castle Dome can
be found at our
Hikes and Walks pages.
Squaw Creek Trail
This trail follows beautiful
Squaw Creek, south of McCloud,
through five miles of wooded
areas and meadows rich with
wildflowers. It is primarily
level, with gentle climbs. Maps
to the trailhead 12 miles south
of McCloud are available at the
Ranger Station in McCloud, the
Mt. Shasta Visitors' Bureau, and
the Dunsmuir Chamber of
Commerce.
Box Canyon Dam and Trail
Just minutes from downtown Mt.
Shasta, you can stand 209 feet
above a jagged river gorge at
the Box Canyon Dam and view the
Upper Sacramento River rushing
out of Lake Siskiyou. To get to
the trailhead, take W.A. Barr
Road south to Lake Siskiyou.
Stop and park just before
crossing the dam. After peering
over the edge into the canyon,
take a scenic walk on the
three-quarter mile trail that
begins along the edge of the
Mount Shasta Resort golf course
and follows the north edge of
the gorge. The trail crosses
several tiny creeks, and offers
views of the dam and canyon from
a number of different vantage
points. Watch for some surprises
along the way - some dating back
to the turn of the last century.
Day hike to Horse Camp on
Mount Shasta
High on the slopes of Mount
Shasta, this moderately
difficult hike to Horse Camp at
8,000 feet on Mount Shasta
begins at Bunny Flat near the
end of Everitt Memorial Highway.
The trail is 1-3/4 miles, mostly
uphill though not too steep. You
will have fabulous views of the
southside of the mountain. At
Horse Camp you can rest at the
Sierra Club Cabin, built by
stonemasons 75 years ago, or
camp in the designated
campsites. The cabin is a
meeting place and base camp for
climbers taking the traditional
John Muir Route to the summit.
There may be snow on the trail
well into the summer, so dress
in layers, wear waterproof
boots, bring sunscreen and
sunglasses. Drinking water is
available at the cabin during
the summer months. Check weather
conditions on the mountain,
which can be very different from
those in town, at one of the
outdoor stores in Mt. Shasta or
at the Ranger Station on Alma
Street.
Black Butte Trail
Black Butte, once known as Muir
Peak, is a plug dome volcano
located north of Mt. Shasta City
and south of Weed, just east of
Interstate 5. It was formed in
four separate eruptions, and as
you climb, you will see evidence
of these eruptions. The hike to
the summit takes about 2 1/2
hours. If you are one of the
many who are fit enough for a
short mountain hike, but not up
to the challenge of a climb to
the summit of Mount Shasta, this
is for you. Take plenty of
water. The drive to the
trailhead is complicated, so
stop by the Mt. Shasta Visitors'
Bureau and ask for a map.
The Bear Trail
Hikers and runners love this
scenic trail in the friendly
town of Weed. It meanders for
1.6 miles through the wooded
area snext to College of the
Siskiyous. The trail begins at
the southeast corner of the
campus, and ends along College
Avenue at the northwest corner.
A detailed description of this
hike can be found at our
Hikes and Walks pages.
Take a wildflower hike to
Deadfall Lakes
A short section of the Pacific
Crest Trail is easily reached
just north of Weed, and leads to
Deadfall Lakes in the beautiful
high country west of Mount Eddy.
The trailhead can be reached by
exiting Interstate 5 at
Edgewood, taking the access road
on the west of the freeway (old
Highway 99) about 1/2 mile
north, then turning west and
driving up Stewart Springs Road
to the Parks Creek Road turnoff.
This paved Forest Service road
continues up the ridge and and
eventually over into the Trinity
Alps. At the summit, about 7
miles up, you will see the
parking area and trailhead where
the Pacific Crest Trail crosses
the road. The hike south to
Deadfall Lakes is less than two
miles, and the scenic beauty is
breathtaking. The road and trail
are usually open from June
through October, although snow
in the high country can persist
late into the season. Take water
and lunch and plan to spend the
whole day exploring the various
lakes.
The Yreka Creek Greenway
The community of Yreka offers a
quarter mile stream side park
along Yreka Creek, home to a
wide variety of plants, birds,
mammals, fish and water
creatures. There is an outdoor
interpretive Visitors' Center at
the entrance to the greenway
behind the Siskiyou County
Museum on Main Street in Yreka.
A paved trail leads you along
the creek, artworks present
natural and cultural history,
and benches and picnic tables
invite you to spend some time in
the greenway's special places.
Tree of Heaven Nature Trail
Located 10 miles north of Yreka,
the Tree of Heaven Campground is
on the Klamath River about 10
miles down river from Interstate
5. The paved and handicapped
accessible Nature Trail wanders
through natural river
vegetation, with interpretive
signs along the path describing
the history and sights. Watch
for eagles and osprey. Tree of
Heaven, a beautiful deciduous
tree, was imported by the
Chinese immigrants who farmed
this flat and sold vegetables to
area miners. The tree was to
remind them of their homeland. A
detailed description of this
hike can be found at our
Hikes and Walks pages.
Hiking at the Lava Beds
National Monument
The Monument, south of Tulelake
on the eastern side of Siskiyou
County, is full of hiking trails
that crest buttes, explore short
caves and visit historical
sites. The Captain Jack's
Stronghold Trail explores the
rugged fortification the Modoc
Indians used to hold of U.S.
Troops. The trail consists of a
short .6 mile inner trail and
1.1 mile outer trail. A
disperser box at the parking lot
contains an interpretive guide
to the hike. Also near the
dispenser box the water mark for
Tule Lake before it was drained
by the Bureau of Reclamation.
For more information, see the
Lava Beds National Monument
Hiking Trails web page.
The Schonchin Butte Trail
Also at Lava Beds National
Monument, this 1 mile hike
climbs Schonchin, which
overlooks the gnarled landscape
of the lava beds. The hike is
steep, but wildflowers, the
panoramic view from the top at a
look at the fire lookout make it
worth the effort. Check with the
Lava Beds Visitors Center for
directions to the trailheads of
these and other hikes within the
Monument.
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