🌲 Shasta-Trinity National Forest: Best Hikes & Sights (2024)

Shasta-Trinity National Forest is one of the most beautiful and overlooked outdoor destinations in all of the United States.

As a native of Southern Oregon and professional landscape photographer, I have spent considerable time exploring this pristine Northern California wilderness. The region is filled with incredible hikes, breathtaking vistas, waterfalls, and other natural features.

The region’s centerpiece is the picturesque twin peaks of Mt Shasta and Mt Shastina. This towering volcano looms majestically above the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and offers an equally impressive subject or backdrop for nature photos nearby.

In this guide, I will reveal my favorite places to visit, hike, explore, and photograph within Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

📸 Top 10 Best Places to Go in Shasta-Trinity National Forest

1. Shasta Lake

Whether you want to spend a day in the water or just enjoy a beautiful view on your way through, budget some time to enjoy the beautiful Lake Shasta.

This destination is a favorite spring break getaway for families and college students alike.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: Guide to the ULTIMATE Northern California Road Trip

---

2. Lake Shasta Caverns National Natural Landmark

This incredible cave system is the newest National Landmark in the west and houses intricate displays of stalagmites and stalactites.

You can only visit via tour, which lasts approximately 2 hours. It begins with a short, 10-minute boat ride across Lake Shasta, followed by another short bus ride to the cavern entrance.

Here are a couple quick things of note:

• There are a lot of stairs, so anyone with mobility issues (or small children) may have difficulty.
• You will be in a cave, so you may need a jacket! It tends to be about 70°F, which will feel cold if coming from the higher temperatures outside.
• Ticket prices are $35 for adults (16+), $21 for juniors (3-15), and free for toddlers (2 & under).
• Hours vary all over the place seasonally. Be sure to check those while planning your visit.

If you are interested in experiencing the caverns, visit Lake Shasta Caverns to learn more, see hours, and purchase tickets.

---

3. Castle Crags

If you are driving north along the I5 from the Redding area, you will be driving a stretch known as the Cascade Wonderland Highway.

As you near the town of Dunsmuir, you notice an incredible rock formation towering above you. These glacier-polished wonders are known as Castle Crags.

Castle Crags is a state park that offers some hikes and recreational opportunities.

Visitors have a few options for exploring the park, but most of the short walks are fairly underwhelming. However, there are some trails that lead into the crags themselves which feel like wandering through Mordor!

If you do not have time to undertake a longer trek, your best option will be to take a short jaunt to the Vista Point trail. This half-mile walk delivers you to a large clearing with an unobstructed view of the Castle Crags rock formation.

---

4. Castle Lake State Park

One of the most beautiful places to camp or spend a day is the mountainside Castle Lake. There is no hike required to reach the lake and restroom facilities are available.

While Castle Lake is beautiful in its own right, the views are inarguably better from above, looking over the lake and back toward Mt Shasta.

To find this hike, you will need to follow the trail going LEFT around Castle Lake. It will start to ascend fairly early on and is a steep trail all the way up.

Be warned that the signage is very poor and it is easy to go astray. I found it easiest to navigate by keeping Google Maps open so I always knew where the lake (and therefore, the parking lot) were in relation to where I was.

---

5. Heart Lake

While countless trails exist throughout the Shasta National Forest, the best view for observing and photographing Mt Shasta comes from Heart Lake. In particular, it is noteworthy for sunrise or sunset.

Heart Lake is reached by parking in the Castle Lake parking area and hiking an obscure trail that seems to branch off constantly. My advice is to keep Google Maps up with a pin in heart lake and attempt to follow the trail in that direction.

The lake itself is quite small and otherwise not very noteworthy, but the composition it provides facing back toward Mt Shasta is tremendous.

A very popular shot is from surface level of the lake, which creates a perfect reflection of Mt Shasta most mornings. However, it is also possible to climb higher, looking own onto both Heart Lake and Castle Lake and capturing Shasta forest as well.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: Best Places to Visit in Oregon

---

6. Hedge Creek Falls

This small waterfall is well worth a stop, though it will not rank among the most impressive waterfalls you will encounter in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

A very easy, 5-minute hike leads you to this quaint cascade. While it is usually fairly small and dry, some nice photos are available in the spring or fall when the volume of water increases enough to give the waterfall some body.

What most people love about Hedge Creek Falls is that you can actually walk behind and under the waterfall! While it is far from the most impressive waterfall I have photographed, it is such a short and easy walk that there is no reason to skip it.

---

7. Black Butte

As you near the city of Weed, a strange and eye-grabbing black mound is sure to steal your attention. This iconic lava cone is known as Black Butte.

While incredibly engaging and certainly worthy of a momentary gawk, photography opportunities for Black Butte are limited. It is possible to hike to the top, though there are better vantage points available in the area; in particular, the aforementioned Heart Lake.

The photo above was taken from Heart Lake at sunrise using a telephoto lens. Black Butte is far more impressive up close, but far more photogenic with a bit of distance.

---

8. Mossbrae Falls

It should be noted that Mossbrae Falls is technically closed. However, it is still a very popular destination and the closure has never been enforced. You are walking beside active train tracks, so be extremely mindful of this if you decide to visit.

Mossbrae Falls is one of the most beautiful and popular waterfalls in the area… for those who know about it! Technically it is on private railway property so finding it can be tricky as signage is limited, but it will come up on Google Maps.

The hike in is about one mile along train tracks through gravel. First, you need to find parking along Dunsmuir Ave, then navigate your way from there. Fortunately, Google Maps has it listed and can guide you there. You will also likely encounter plenty of locals who use the trail for dog walking and exercise.

You may think you are in the wrong place as you walk the train tracks into the woods, but this is the correct way.

IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY: Long Exposure Waterfall Photography Guide

---

9. McCloud Falls

As you venture toward McCloud Falls, you will begin circling the south side of Mt Shasta. While I personally prefer the views from the north, it may be worth doing an entire loop around the mountain to explore the different shapes and compositions.

Now, as for the waterfall – there are actually three falls you will discover on the McCloud Waterfalls trail, with the most popular and photogenic being Middle Falls (seen above).

The entire hike is a total of just 4 miles.

Many people do choose to swim in the falls, especially on hot summer days. If you think this might be something you are keen on doing, be sure to pack some swim wear!

---

10. Lake Shastina

What makes Lake Shastina particularly lovely is the way Mt Shasta fills the horizon above the blue waters of the lake. This viewing angle also provides a more interesting look at the twin-cone peaks of the mountain.

A community has been built up around the lake so you need to be highly respectful of where you park and set up, but as long as you are not disturbing things in any way, the locals likely won’t mind you being there to enjoy the view and snap some photos.

I stayed out all night to shoot the Milky Way at Lake Shastina and really liked the image, though the light pollution from the community was a bit distracting.

🚘 Driving Map of Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Technically, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest encompasses an extremely vast section of wilderness at 2.2 million acres. Accordingly, this STNF map focuses on the best sights and hikes that are accessible by car.

All of the destinations and best places to explore included in this guide are on a proposed route indicated by the map below.

Click on the image to open the directions in Google Maps in a new tab.

♥️ LOVE THE NATIONAL PARKS?
DISCOVER 65+ PERFECT NATIONAL PARK GIFTS

🏕 Camping in Shasta-Trinity National Forest

There are no shortage of scenic places to camp in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Whether you are looking for primitive camping or hook-ups, you will have little trouble finding a place to call home for the night.

Tent campers have a particularly wide variety of options. The US National Forest Service allows dispersed camping anywhere within National Forest boundaries as long as it is not within 100 feet of a lake, trail, or stream, or is specifically designated as closed.

This does not mean you can build a fire anywhere, but it does mean that you can legally set up a tent or hammock, or freedom camp within your vehicle.

Hook-up options are plentiful at locations along the I-5 and are a simple Google search away from dozens of options. In addition, all state parks including the incredible Castle Lake State Park have campsites available, varying from primitive to powered.

🌅 Best Time to Visit Shasta-Trinity National Forest

The best time to visit Shasta-Trinity National Forest is in the late spring. You will have plenty of snow on the mountain peak, but will not have to battle much of it on the ground.

Springtime also tends to bring better sunrises and sunsets due to the passing clouds that are typical this time of year. The snowmelt also helps fuel the waterfalls, creating a much more impressive display than other times of year.

In addition, stargazers and night photographers will note that spring is the first chance to start capturing the Milky Way. As previously mentioned, Northern California is a great place for astrophotography due to its dark night skies.

📸 Photographing Mt Shasta in Shasta-Trinity National Forest

As has been evidenced throughout, most of my favorite photography locations in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest are those that include Mt Shasta. I just find its isolated, snow capped peaks to be too interesting a subject not to include!

In this section, I wanted to discuss all considerations for photographing the mountain specifically.

Many of the best photos can be taken from the roadside. However, a landscape photo is only as good as the light, so be sure to be patient and wait for that gorgeous evening or morning light to bring in some magic.

Best Angle for Photographing Mt Shasta

It is possible to drive a complete circle around the mountain along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. While there are many photogenic views, I find the most interesting to be from the North of the mountain looking south.

There are two major reasons for this. The first is that you are able to see and capture what is known as the satellite cone of Shastina. While sharp, craggy peaks are typical, the inclusion of Shastina makes for a far more interesting photo.

To capture something like the photo above, simply drive the Volcanic Legacy byway around the north of Mount Shasta keeping your eyes peeled for the numerous available pullouts.

The second reason I find south-facing views appealing is that the fading, colored light of sunrise and sunset will come in from the sides, providing gorgeous light and shadow play on the mountain peaks.

Best Time of Day to Photograph Mt Shasta

For the most part, as with most places, the best time of day to photograph in the Shasta-Trinity region will be golden hours, sunrise, and sunset. The angular light on the mountain makes for a far more captivating photo, especially as it when it receives red light known as alpine glow.

What is lesser-known, however, is that Northern California is one of the better places for night photography as it has some distance from any major city.

If you want to photograph the Milky Way, you will need to find a good view that looks onto Mt Shasta in the direction of SW during the summer season and shoulder months.

Because of the size of the mountain, there are endless options for compositions. The best thing to do is to scout during the day and decide what would make for a good foreground so that you already know the scene you want to capture when the Milky Way comes out at night!

🧭 More Northern California & Southern Oregon Travel Guides

Northern California Guides

• The Perfect NorCal Road Trip: Everything you need to explore in the NorCal region.
• Burney Falls Ultimate Guide: Best hikes, camping, & everything you need to know!

Yosemite Guides

• The Ultimate Guide to Yosemite Firefall for First Time Visitors
• Yosemite Valley Photography Guide
• Sunrise at Yosemite: Top Locations and Photo Tips
• The Perfect Yosemite Itinerary for 1, 2, or 3 Day Visits
• One Day in Yosemite: The Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

Mammoth Lakes Region

• Discover 10 Free & Natural Hot Springs in Mammoth Lakes
• June Lakes Loop Scenic Drive
• Travertine Hot Springs Guide
• Buckeye Hot Springs Guide

Oregon Guides

• All the Best Things to do in Oregon: The Ultimate Guide
• The Seven Wonders of Oregon Complete Guide
• Top 15 Oregon Waterfalls
• Complete Guide to the Southern Oregon Coast
• Best Places to Visit in Oregon for Nature Lovers
• All the Best Waterfalls in Southern Oregon
• Top Oregon Coast Photography Destinations

🤫 Final Thoughts on Visiting Shasta-Trinity National Forest

As you can probably tell, I hold the Shasta-Trinity National Forest region in the highest esteem.

While I love how seldom-visited this region is, I am also acutely aware of the desire to discover local getaways as foreign travels remain a possibility only of the distant future.

I truly hope you have found this travel guide useful, inspiring, and informative. As always, we sure do appreciate your feedback if there is something we have missed or if you find any inaccuracies.

📌 Enjoyed this guide to Shasta-Trinity National Forest?! Pin it 🙂

Because sharing is caring!