We hiked to the base camp, about 1.5 miles, a pretty easy hike. Beautiful fur trees and it smells soo nice! Loved that mountain! It REALLY helps if you have a clear beautiful sunny day...of course! :-)
It was a pity that there was forest fire in the region. If not, the views on top of Mount Shasta would be even better. We drove all the way up to the furthest where we could park out car and went for a short hike higher. Our plan was to go to Black Butte but the tourist info lady suggested us to visit Mount Shasta instead. We were not disappointed by it.
If you haven't visited Shasta do yourself a favor and go. You can enjoy by car, but hiking is best. Bring lots of water, sunscreen and things to eat if you're going during the summer months cause it's hot.
such a beautiful mountain, any time of the day. For a brazilian it is quite cold even during summer, so get your coats on! if you can find a guide to take you up the mountain, he/she can show you some sacred spots. I met this lady called Akusana, a very nice guide. You can get info in the Berryvalle store.
Mount Shasta is an excellent place to stop and explore, either as a destination spot, or as an attraction on your way to something more dramatic, such as Crater Lake National Park or Glacier National Park. Mount Shasta seems not to have any visitor center, and so those who need to be among others of the same species, the nearby town of Shasta offers many restaurants, gift shops, and excellent mineral and gem shops. Anyway, there is a road that takes to the mountain and somewhat close to the summit, and this road is easy to find. Once at the top, the view of the surrounding landscape is nice (but not spectacular). At the end of the road there is a large parking lot. From the parking lot, one can hike through a volcanic landscape (hardly any trees) and enjoy the colored lava boulders, and admire the beargrass. The attached pictures show be posing in the lava field, and also show a closeup of the beargrass. Although I only spent a couple of hours on Mount Shasta, I would guess that it would take over ten separate visits, even to begin to understand the variety of geologic features and photo opportunities that are provided.
Strange seeing Shasta with almost no snow but it is majestic. Take the time to visit. You can drive up to about 8,000 foot level to see stunning views but the hikes are the best way to experience the area. Come prepared though with water and extra clothes as it can get pretty warm even at elevation and the mornings are cool.
When driving from Ashland to Mount Shasta for the night, I was treated to spectacular clear views of Mount Shasta during the drive. I checked into the Best Western and had a wonderful view of Mount Shasta also from the patio of my room.
From downtown, best view next to ace Hardware store highly recommended MeuterMedia also check out the menue from YAKS coffee shop.
The highlight of our visit to the area was driving up to the tree line of the mountain and then hiking around the mountain. It was a bright, sunny day and we could see for miles. We were able to study the lava rocks that we found and even a few crystals. There is clear indication of the trajectory where thousands of trees were obliterated during an avalanche during the 1970's. I love the serenity of this beautiful place and will be back!
I am not kidding. Mt Shasta, the Mountain is Magical and Gorgeous. Most people are passing through on Interstate '5', but It is definitely worth staying for 2-4 days. Here's why . The Mountain is powerful and accessible. You can drive right up on a 2 lane hiway to maybe 7,000 feet. The trip up is incredibly Gorgeous. What Views. There are campsites on top and bottom, places to camp throughout, and plenty of motels in town. There's parking and toilets near the top. Then you can hike up and over to magical valleys and meadows. Powerful and Incredible. The views are beyond belief. There are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants. You can swim in the gorgeous man made lake across the Valley. You can drive into the Mountains across the Valley to hidden ALPINE LAKES. It's just like HEAVEN, but everyone is passing it by..