Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions covers the best trails in the upper half of beautiful Northern California, my home turf, the area where I’ve lived most of my life. Not only have I hiked all of these trails, I’ve hiked many of them a dozen times or more.
The book includes 125 trails in:
- the Mount Shasta area
- Trinity Divide and Mount Eddy
- Castle Crags State Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Trinity Alps Wilderness
- Marble Mountain Wilderness
- Russian Wilderness
- Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
- Shasta Lake National Recreation Area
- the Redding area
Key Highlights of the Hiking Trails
- rugged high mountains and clear glacial lakes in the Trinity Alps, Marble Mountain Wilderness, and Russian Wilderness
- active evidence of the volcanic nature of California’s Cascades: steaming fumaroles and bubbling mudpots at Bumpass Hell in Lassen Volcanic National Park
- stunning waterfalls, such as Burney Falls and the three waterfalls on the McCloud River
- the two tallest peaks: Mount Shasta at 14,179 feet, and Lassen Peak at 10,451 feet, plus a bevy of other summits
- the isolated canyon country of the Ishi Wilderness
- the opportunity to explore long, dark lava tubes such as Subway Cave and the many caves of Lava Beds National Monument
- verdant expanses of green such as Panther Meadows on Mount Shasta and King’s Creek Meadows in Lassen Volcanic National Park
- leisurely strolls along the shore of Whiskeytown Lake, with many opportunities for swimming
- numerous trails in Redding and the surrounding foothills
The trails range from a flat and easy two-miler roundtrip in Redding to a steep and rugged 16 miles roundtrip in the Trinity Alps. And if the hike is suitable for backpacking, I give you the necessary info on camping spots, wilderness permits, and more.
Where to buy Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions:
- Buy the book at Amazon.com
- Buy the book at Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores)
- Barnes and Noble and local bookstores (call first to make sure they have it)
- The friendly folks at your favorite outdoor store (call first to make sure they have it; if they don’t, have them order it from their distributor or direct from The Mountaineers books: 1-800-553-4453,
- Park/national forest visitor centers (call first to make sure they have it)
Why you want Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions with you when you explore this stunning country:
- I hiked every inch of every trail, most many, many times.
- accurate facts—all hikes reviewed by rangers and agency trail experts.
- accurate trail maps—help you navigate the many trail forks, including the unmarked ones.
- GPS coordinates help you find all the trailheads.
- over 125 photos show you what you’ll experience on the trails — and some are in color.
- The book is lightweight: a perfect fit for your day pack.
Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions Overview Map

(Click on the map above to open a larger version that’s easier to view.)
The 125 Hiking Trails in Upper Northern California
Redding/Red Bluff/Anderson Area Hiking Trails
- Iron Canyon and Jed’s Overlook
- Hog Lake to Payne’s Creek
- Yana Trail from Oak Slough
- Anderson River Park
- Clear Creek
- Piety Hill Loop
- Arboretum Loop Trail from Sundial Bridge
- Sacramento River Trail Loop
- Sacramento River Rail Trail
- FB Trail
- Chamise Peak
- Upper Sacramento Ditch Trail
- Mule Mountain Pass and Black Bear Pass
- Mule Mountain Ridge to Mule Mountain Summit
Whiskeytown Lake National Recreation Area and Shasta Lake National Recreation Area Hiking Trails
- Shasta Divide Nature Trail
- Oak Bottom Water Ditch
- Boulder Creek Falls
- Tower House Historic District and Mill Creek
- Crystal Creek Ditch Trail
- Whiskeytown Falls
- Mount Shasta Mine Loop
- Kanaka Peak
- Guardian Rock and Clear Creek
- Davis Gulch
- Brandy Creek Falls
- Shasta Dam to Dry Creek
- Waters Gulch
- Bailey Cove
- Hirz Bay
Castle Crags State Park Hiking Trails
- River Trail
- Castle Dome
- Root Creek Falls
- Indian Creek and Flume Trails
- Flume Trail to Sulphur Creek
- Burstarse Falls
Mount Shasta and Vicinity Hiking Trails
- Hedge Creek Falls
- Lake Siskiyou
- Box Canyon
- Spring Hill
- Gateway Trail
- Black Butte
- Horse Camp and Helen Lake
- Panther Meadows and Gray Butte
- South Gate Meadows
- Old Ski Bowl to Green Butte
- Clear Creek
- Squaw Valley Creek
- Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls of the McCloud River
Trinity Divide and the Eddy Mountains Hiking Trails
- Twin Lakes and Tamarack Lake
- Castle Lake Shore
- Castle Lake to Heart Lake
- Little Castle Lake and Mount Bradley Ridge
- Upper Sisson-Callahan Trail
- Gray Rock Lakes
- Cliff Lake
- Seven Lakes Basin
- Porcupine Lake and Toad Lake
- Caldwell Lakes
- Deadfall Lakes and Mount Eddy
- Deadfall Meadows
- Cement Bluff and Bluff Lake
- Fen Trail to Bull Lake
Shasta Valley Hiking Trails
- Bass and Trout Lakes
- Greenhorn Park
- Pluto’s Cave
- Goosenest Summit
Trinity Alps Wilderness Hiking Trails
- Canyon Creek Lakes
- Long Canyon to Deer Creek Pass
- Granite Lake
- Parker Meadow and Mumford Meadow
- Boulder Lakes
- Big Bear Lake
- PCT Southwest From Scott Mountain Summit
- East Boulder and Upper Boulder Lakes
- Fox Creek Lake
- Hidden Lake
- South Fork Lakes
- Trail Gulch and Long Gulch Lakes
Russian Wilderness and Marble Mountain Wilderness Hiking Trails
- Russian Lake
- Duck Lakes
- Paynes Lake
- Taylor Lake to Hogan Lake
- Campbell and Cliff Lakes
- Marble Valley and the Sky High Lakes
- Paradise Lake
- Kelsey Creek to Maple Falls
Lava Beds National Monument Hiking Trails
- Heppe Ice Cave
- Big Nasty Trail
- Symbol Bridge and Big Painted Cave
- Schonchin Butte
- Whitney Butte
- Black Crater and Thomas-Wright Battlefield
- Gillem Bluff
- Captain Jack’s Stronghold
- Discovery Marsh and Sheepy Ridge
North Of Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Spatter Cones Trail
- Subway Cave to Hat Creek Rim
- Hat Creek Rim to Grassy Lake
- Hat Creek
- Everett Lake, Magee Lake, and Magee Peak
- Baum and Crystal Lakes
- Burney Falls
Lassen Volcanic National Park Hiking Trails
- Brokeoff Mountain
- Mill Creek Falls
- Sulphur Works and Ridge Lakes
- Bumpass Hell, Cold Boiling Lake, and Crumbaugh Lake
- Lassen Peak
- Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes and Paradise Meadows
- Kings Creek Falls and Sifford Lakes
- Twin Lakes and Rainbow Lake
- Manzanita Lake and Lily Pond
- Crags Lake
- Manzanita Creek
- Boiling Springs Lake and Devil’s Kitchen
- Mount Harkness
- Horseshoe, Indian, and Juniper Lakes Loop
- Cinder Cone and Snag Lake
- Prospect Peak
South and East Of Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Mill Creek below Black Rock
- Mill Creek above Black Rock
- Deer Creek
- Spencer Meadow National Recreation Trail
- Beauty, Posey, and Long Lakes Loop
- Emerald, Rim, and Cypress Lakes
- Gem, Black, and Cowboy Lakes Loop
Appendix I: Contact Information
Appendix II: Conservation and Trail Organizations
Appendix III: Recommended Reading
Index
Acknowledgments
Where to buy Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions:
- Buy the book at Amazon.com
- Buy the book at Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores)
- Barnes and Noble and local bookstores (call first to make sure they have it)
- The friendly folks at your favorite outdoor store (call first to make sure they have it; if they don’t, have them order it from their distributor or direct from The Mountaineers books: 1-800-553-4453,
- Park/national forest visitor centers (call first to make sure they have it)
Book Updates
See the Trail Closures and Major Updates page for important changes in all of my hiking guidebooks.