UpState California's Shasta Cascade Region National Park Itinerary – Redwoods, Caves & Volcanoes
The Shasta-Cascade Wonderland Association in conjunction with California's North Coast and the State of Oregon has developed an itinerary from San Francisco highlighting three of the west's most popular National Parks as well as the designated Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway - All American Road. The All American Road designation is given to the most special highway routes in America, with only 42 in existence. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway connects Crater Lake National Park to Lassen Volcanic National Park and includes some of the most dramatic volcanic landscapes in America. Along the route you will see Mt. Shasta, California's tallest volcano at over 14,000 feet.
Lake Shasta Caverns – One of the Greatest Natural Treasures in Northern California.
A visit to Lake Shasta Caverns is far more than just an exciting exploration of nature's underground magic, thousands of years in the making. The caverns are recognized around the world for their distinguished beauty – Stalactites, Stalagmites, Soda Straws, Helictites, Flowstones, Draperies, and more unusual formations such as Tiger Tooth Crystals, Cave Coral, Cave Lace and Pallets. The guided two hour tour includes a cruise across majestic Shasta Lake, and a scenic bus ride which takes you to the caverns entrance 800 feet above the lake, and a guided tour into the caves. Lake Shasta Caverns also offers a play Kids Zone and dinner cruises on Shasta Lake.
Majestic Mt. Shasta - "Where Heaven and Earth Meet"
The City of Mount Shasta is nestled at the foot of majestic Mt. Shasta. The awe-inspiring mountain is 14,179 feet high and is the second largest volcano in the United States. Mt. Shasta is surrounded by natural beauty, pristine glacial waters, natural mineral springs, pure mountain air and unsurpassed scenery. There are numerous recreational activities such as fishing, golfing, rafting, mountaineering, camping, hiking and backpacking. Nearby attractions include Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery – beginning in 1888, it's the oldest operating hatchery west of the Mississippi; Sisson Museum which is located on the towns west side highlights the history of the town, local Native Americans, the geology of Mt. Shasta and its glaciers, as well as the history of climbing the mountain. A scenic drive on Everitt Memorial Highway offers a closer look at the mountain which has been considered by some to be one of the Seven Sacred Mountains of the world.
A Road Less Traveled
There are so many great road trips through the Shasta Cascade region in UpState CA! Here is a road trip - shortcut - with breathtaking views that the locals take when traveling between the Shasta Cascade and Reno for motorists traveling south on I-5 or north on US 395 that avoids the long drive to Sacramento and over Donner Pass. By taking CA-36 or CA-44 from Redding to Reno, motorists pass through Lassen Volcanic National Park or around it through Lassen National Forest gaining breathtaking views of Lassen Peak and Mt Shasta along the way. Traveling south, the two highways converge at Susanville, a rural oasis in eastern Lassen County and, from there, drop down into Nevada on US 395 to Reno.
Alternative Camping
People are camping in ever more unusual ways. They camp in Yurts (modern adaptations of nomadic tents) at Lewiston Lake, in park models (environmental cabins rolled into the woods) at Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, in railroad cars at Railroad Park Resort in Dunsmuir and in fire lookouts in our national forests.
America's Alps
The Trinity Alps, 20 miles/32 km north of Weaverville in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, are America’s Alps. Alpine peaks surround blue Trinity Lake, reminiscent of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. Created in 1961 by the damming of the Trinity River, Trinity Lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing for smallmouth bass, Kokanee salmon, and catfish, houseboating, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. What is unusual about Trinity Lake is that it is so lightly visited. You might call it Switzerland without all the people. Some campsites are available only by boat, making seclusion part of the Trinity Alps experience.
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