Hiking to Horse Camp on Mount Shasta

The trail from Bunny Flat to Horse Camp is the most common route for folks climbing to the summit of Mount Shasta via Avalanche Gulch. It also makes an excellent short day hike, which is what Stephanie and I did late Thursday afternoon after a delicious lunch at Strings in the town of Mount Shasta.

The Trail from Bunny Flat to Horse Camp

The path climbs gently through Shasta red fir forest. There are occasional open views of surrounding mountains, including Mount Eddy and other notable summits in the Trinity Divide Mountains, but the main highlight is the wildflowers, which are peaking now. (No pictures of those — sorry!)

Horse Camp, Beginning of the Avalanche Gulch Route Up Mount Shasta

Horse Camp, owned and run by the Sierra Club, is a great one-day destination because of its stunning views of the route to Lake Helen, the Heart, and Red Cliffs. Mount Shasta summit climbers frequently camp here (for a fee), and there’s also delicious spring water.

Sierra Club building at Horse Camp on Mount Shasta. (Photo by John Soares)

Spring at Horse Camp on Mount Shasta. (Photo by John Soares)

You know it's good: Mount Shasta spring water at Horse Camp. (Photo by John Soares) — You know it’s good: Mount Shasta spring water at Horse Camp. (Photo by John Soares)

Olberman’s Causeway and Avalanche Gulch

Once you get to Horse Camp and you’re summit bound, you finally see what lies ahead of you, for the most part. (You can’t actually see the summit — it’s even higher.)

Olberman’s Causeway starts the route up to Lake Helen, where many climbers spend the night before tackling the steepest part of Avalanche Gulch.