Squeekie
We hiked up to the base camp, a cute little hut at 8000ft. Would have loved to stay overnite with a big fire, but too chicken to do it! About 1.5 miles up. It's a pretty easy walk, but give yourself enough time to get down before the sun goes down. The views of Mt. Shasta and the mountain ranges to the west are great! Take the road all the way to the end. You can hike to touch the snow if you are so inclined. :-)
ruralgal2013
The trails on the McCloud River Loop are always a joy, even if the water is lower than most years. Well maintained and swimming holes for the young and old. Fishing, camping, great golf, all close by in McCloud.
MBPillen
We drove down I-5 to Mt. Shasta and our first views took our breath away! The mountain and surrounding cinder cones only got more beautiful and breathtaking the closer we got. It was like Mt. Shasta was pulling us to her!! We hiked Black Butte the next day. It was a hot hike (bring a hat and lots of water) and the road in was a tad rough (good thing our rental car wasn't low to the ground). The views of Mt. Shasta from Black Butte once again took our breath away! We also drove to McCloud and hiked to the lower, middle, and upper falls. Totally worth it! Except for a few families fishing, there was no one on the trails but us. We loved the solitude and the peacefulness of the area. Can't wait to return!
GrammyS_11
This was our first trip to this area of California. We read the Trip Advisor reviews and recommendations, so we were excited for our new adventure. Our trip to this forest was our most favorite. We took Hwy 89 to find the forest and then looked for signs to the McCloud waterfalls. Drive past the Fowler Campgrounds. We first found the Middle Falls, which was fairly close to the parking lot. We didn't see another soul during our hour visit to the falls. We took in the whole experience using all of our senses. We just stared at the beautiful blue water flowing over the rocks. It's not often we STOP everything and just "be" with nature. This is nature at its best. I'm glad my left foot was injured and we couldn't walk to the Upper Falls. This forced us to just stop and fully enjoy this magical experience.
gcavener
Mt. Shasta is beautiful from most every angle. My two favorite views are from Butte Valley (Dorris) and the intersection of A-12 and US 97. Mt. Shasta has a lot of character in its appearance, and affects the weather and cloud formations. Occasionally you can see multiple lenticular clouds about the peak.
Phils26
Drove from the town of Mount Shasta to Bunny Flats, with a beautiful scenic view from a roadside turnout before you reach the Flats. Once there, you'll find a trailhead to Horse Camp, 1.7 miles of easy hiking; However, the 1,000 foot ascent to Horse Camp, at 8,000 feet elevation, will test your fitness, particularly the upper half of the trail, which is much steeper than the lower half. Bring a sunhat on sunny days, because the lower half of the trail is largely through open meadows (lots of dormant flora in November, that I am guessing looks pretty nice in the spring!), with the fir trees mostly set a ways off the trail. The upper half is mostly narrow and immediately adjacent to the fir trees, shadier, and closer to nature. The Sierra Club lodge at Horse Camp is a small picturesque shelter. The faucet for drinking water was not functioning. I didn't hike further up the mountain. There a pit toilets at Bunny Flats and at Horse Camp, with toilet paper, but no soap, water, nor sanitizers. Although the flowers were absent, the solitude this time of year is wonderful. I encountered no other hikers during the ascent, and only 8 hikers on the way back down. Mostly, just yourself, the chirping of birds, and the almost continuous rustling of the wind through the trees, gusting for many seconds at a time, gusts coming to your ears from different directions at different times...very nice.
KathyQ1121
What more can I say? For wonderful views of the falls, take 89 past the tiny town of McCloud. My boys loved the Lower Falls the best as you could sit right next to the water and explore nature's pot holes of lava. The Mid and Upper Falls had the most spectacular views along with a foot and bike trail. A must see!
Dahvid
The energy and the views are amazing! I Love going to Northern CA. I can recommend it to all. worth the drive from San Francisco and the town is conscious as well!
BeverlyD856
While I only drive up as far as Bunny Flats, the drive through the forest was spectacular. Many people were enjoying mountain biking on steep trails as I drove in; then others were gathering in the parking lot for a hike (overnight? several days?).Shasta mountain herself was playing coy that morning, clouds covering first one part then another, but the show was fascinating. Would love to go back and hike farther in.
Mrsboe_13
My husband and I drove through and viewed Mt. Shasta and it was gorgeous. It was in mid march and the weather was beautiful. There were several towns surrounding it a with a variety of options for lunch. No souvenir shops or decent lodging though. Overall it was worth the detour we made to drive out and see it though.
401DeniseB
The views here are some of the most beautiful in all the world of mountains. Mt Shasta herself is the most majestic of all!
KatherineJ355
the trinities are a very special place to visit. I love to go backpacking. this place is so beautiful. the solitude when I get in the back country is like nothing I've ever known. Bears, cats,bats you name it. has it all. icy high mountain lakes crystal clear...peaceful
earnestxxxx
Lots of places to camp and play. Go to the lake, Hike. Have a picnic. Lots of things to do! Try fly fishing in the river!
JHarold
This is a special place - contains the headwaters and feeder streams that make up the Sacramento River. It used to be cautiously maintained with timber cut and restoration/replanting. It is now a protected shrine for eco-religionists and is allowed to rot and burn, causing unhealthy air in the summer
seas2sea
Many of your lakes in Northern California are within the Shata Trinity National Forest. Many wonders and beauty to be see and explored. Hike a short distance or for days, fishing, boating, photos, stories to write and tell. Friendly people and amazing place in all of our State and National Parks.