The Hedge Creek Falls Trail is easy and convenient: just pop off I-5 in Dunsmuir and quickly descend to the sweet little waterfall. You’ll also get views of Mount Shasta and visit an inviting swimming hole on the Sacramento River.
Hike the New Heart Lake Trail near Mount Shasta in 2025
Hike the Shasta area’s iconic Heart Lake Trail in 2025 on the recently rerouted path. This article has all the details of everything you need to know to enjoy this popular hike, including a detailed trail description, trailhead directions, and a Heart Lake Trail map.
Hiking the McCloud Falls Trail: Three Magnificent Waterfalls!
Walking the lower, middle, and upper falls of the McCloud River is one of the premier hikes in the Mount Shasta area. This post has everything you need, including a detailed description of the trail, directions to the trailhead, a map, and several photos that highlight the stunning beauty along the route.
Hike Faery Falls: Fantastic Waterfall on Ney Springs Creek Near Mount Shasta
Faery Falls on Ney Springs Creek is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire Mount Shasta area. The fifty-foot waterfall is just a short 0.8 mile hike, and the route also travels through the ruins of intriguing Ney Springs Resort. This article provides a complete description of the Faery Falls Trail, along with […]
Hiking the PCT to Cement Bluff above Bluff Lake
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to Cement Bluff above Bluff Lake is an attractive outing in its own right, with gorgeous views of Mount Eddy, Mount Shasta, and the Trinity Alps. This post provides trailhead directions, a map, and a detailed trail description.
Hike Beautiful Burstarse Falls via the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking to beautiful Burstarse Falls in Castle Crags Wilderness via the Pacific Crest Trail is an annual ritual for many North State hikers. Most come in spring, when warmer days melt the winter snow off the high granite peaks of Castle Crags, sending the cold water streaming down Burstarse Creek and over Burstarse Falls. In […]
Climbing Mount Shasta Via Old Ski Bowl, Green Butte, and Avalanche Gulch: My Story
The sweaty story of the first time I climbed Mount Shasta, not the usual way from Bunny Flat, but via the Old Ski Bowl and Green Butte. I Wrote This Shasta Summit Article for Outdoor Adventure This is an article I wrote in 1998 for the magazine Outdoor Adventure (sadly, no longer in existence) about […]
Hiking Seven Lakes Basin via the Pacific Crest Trail: Lakes and Vistas!
This day hike or short backpacking trip to Seven Lakes Basin on the Pacific Crest Trail is one of the best in the Mount Shasta region. The basin holds Upper Seven Lake, Lower Seven Lake, and several smaller lakes, with swimming the best in Upper Seven Lake. On the way to Seven Lakes Basin, you’ll […]
Hike Black Butte Trail: Summit Vista of Mount Shasta!
The Black Butte Trail climbs steeply up volcanic Black Butte just west of Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County. It’s a day hike that will give you a good workout, and it features stunning views of Mount Shasta, Mount Eddy, Castle Crags, and the Trinity Divide Mountains. Full trail description and trail map below… Black Butte […]
Potem Falls Trail: Short Hike to a Stunning Waterfall!
Potem Creek tumbles 70 feet over Potem Falls to crash into a beautiful, rock-rimmed swimming hole, all yours for a short trail hike. Potem Falls, near the Pit River in the Shasta Lake National Recreation Area of Shasta-Trinity National Forest, is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in northern part of Northern California. Unlike Burney […]
Hike Castle Crags State Park’s Stunning Trails in 2025
Love to hike? Castle Crags State Park hosts a range of hiking trails for every ability, plus an excellent campground. This post gives all you all your hiking options, plus camping details, and includes discussion of the geology, plant and animal life, and human history of Castle Crags State Park and its environs — all […]
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail Through Castle Crags State Park and Wilderness
The steep granite slopes of Castle Crags tower above this Pacific Crest Trail hike through Castle Crags State Park, Castle Crags Wilderness, and Shasta-Trinity National Forest. You gain a lot of beauty for a modest effort, and you’ll likely also have solitude.
The Best Northern California Spring Backpacking Trips, 2025
Northern California is a great place for a spring 2025 backpacking trip! Here are the best low/middle elevation trails in the Bay Area, Northern Sierra Nevada, Lassen National Forest, Klamath Mountains, redwoods, and North Coast. You can hike many of them year-round, even in winter. Tired of Winter, Ready to Backpack This Spring, 2025? Wherever […]
Clikapudi Trail Hiking Adventure at Shasta Lake
The Clikapudi Trail offers vistas of the mountains surrounding Shasta Lake, opportunities to explore the the lake’s Pit River arm, and the tranquil beauty of Clikapudi Creek and its valley. Ghosts from a time long past share the Clikapudi Trail with hikers. The Wintu Indians lived in and around the area circumscribed by the trail, […]
Sugarloaf Creek Trail, Shasta Lake National Recreation Area
Remoteness and lush creek-side vegetation lure hikers to the Sugarloaf Creek trail near Shasta Lake. Sugarloaf Creek runs year-round, and originates a few miles northwest of the trailhead. The trail itself parallels the creek, and always stays on the north side. The first mile or so of trail is in good shape, but the upper […]
Hiking, Swimming, Camping at Sims Flat, Upper Sacramento River
Sims Flat along the upper Sacramento River has a hiking trail around the campground perimeter, and you can hike the west river bank in either direction to great swimming holes. There’s also good fishing! Sims Flat makes a great place to stretch your legs and take a nature break when you’re traveling Interstate 5 north […]
Trinity Alps Wildflowers with Author Ken DeCamp: Interview
Ken DeCamp’s all-color Wildflowers of the Trinity Alps is a beautiful book covering 629 wildflower species, subspecies, and varieties. Here Ken discusses the book, his favorite Trinity Alps wildflower hikes, and the course of his career as a photographer and writer. Where to Purchase Wildflowers of the Trinity Alps Wildflowers of the Trinity Alps: Including […]
Trinity Alps Pacific Crest Trail Section Hiking: Complete Guide
The Pacific Crest Trail travels through the rugged Trinity Alps Wilderness from Scott Mountain Summit to Carter Meadows Summit. This post provides PCT section hikers/backpackers details of lakes, campsites, connecting trails, along with a topographic map of the entire Pacific Crest Trail section. Highlights: East Boulder Lake, Telephone Lake, Mavis Lake, South Fork Lakes, Hidden […]
Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California
Ever thought about backpacking sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California? Philip Kramer, author of the new book Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California Section Hiking from Tuolumne Meadows to Donomore Pass (Mountaineers Books, 2018) shares key information in this wide-ranging interview. Why Does Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail Have Such […]
Shasta Lake Human and Natural History
The post provides a brief introduction to the intriguing human history and natural history of Shasta Lake, along with a list of Shasta Lake hiking trails, all of which are either in my book Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions or are here on the blog.
Trinity Alps Wilderness Trail Conditions 2025
Backpackers and day hikers need to know the conditions of Trinity Alps Wilderness trails and trailhead access roads before they begin their explorations of this beautiful and remote region in Northern California. I discuss the main source for trail and road information below in this 2025 update. 2025: Lots of Snow in the Trinity Alps! […]
Backpacking Canyon Creek Lakes and Boulder Creek Lakes in the Trinity Alps
The Canyon Creek Lakes and Boulder Creek Lakes are likely the most popular backpacking destinations in the Trinity Alps, and for good reason. The trails have everything a backpacker wants: roaring creeks with waterfalls, verdant meadows, abundant wildflowers, deep, rock-ringed lakes, and towering granite peaks. This post provides everything you need to find the trailhead […]
Hiking Big Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps
Hiking/backpacking to Big Bear Lake and Little Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps is one of my favorite far northern California excursions. Trailhead access is easy, and I quickly get into beautiful sub-alpine granite wilderness. Note that the trail itself is relatively steep — you need to be in decent shape. (This post is based […]
Little Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps
I did a fantastic hike to Little Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. It started with a steep 3000-foot climb on the trail to Big Bear Lake, followed by a moderate 1-mile cross-country scramble over granite. From my Northern California Hiking Trails Youtube channel: Little Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps: My Video I […]
Hiking the Trail to West Parks Lakes – Lower, Middle, Upper
Lower, Middle, and Upper West Park Lakes lie just a few miles from Mount Eddy and the Deadfall Lakes, yet few people hike the trails to these gems, even though they are fairly easy to reach. I did the West Parks Lakes as a day-hike in late August, the day after I explored the nearby […]
