National & State
Parks
Siskiyou & Shasta County, Northern Californi aCastle
Crags State Park in located just six miles south of Dunsmuir and features soaring
spires of ancient granite and about two miles of the quick running upper Sacramento River
and lovely Castle Creek. Elevations in the park range from 2,000 feet to more than 6,000
feet at the top of the Crags. There are 18 miles of improved trails available to hikers
and backpackers including several miles of the famous Pacific Crest Trail.
Surrounded by primitive back
country, winters are cold and wet but the long, warm summers and easy access make the park
a popular place to visit throughout the rest of the year. From a scenic overlook within
the park, one can see the dramatic skyline features that command this portion of Northern
California. Majestic Mt. Shasta towers 14,162 feet dominates the northern view, a
presently quiet, though active volcano.
Closer at hand, is the
glacier polished Crags for which the park is named. The Crags are made up of granite
material that was formed some 170 million years ago far beneath the surface of the earth
and later forced slowly upward through a blanket of serpentine.
A still different formation
can be seen to the southwest where the Grey Rocks form the crest of Flume Creek Ridge.
Geologically unlike either the Crags or Mt. Shasta, the Grey Rocks consist of a great
weathered slab of metamorpoohic rock, principally greenstone and slate that has been
thrust sideways over and on top of serpentine. (see Dunsmuir Guide)
- Camping & Picnicking: there are 64 family campsites,
reservations can be made by calling MISTIX at 1-800-444-7275. Picnic areas are located
across the river from the park's main entrance in cool forest groves. The main attraction
is the Sacramento River which offers good fishing for Rainbow trout in season, there are
more than 2 miles of riverside trails and several hundred acres of undeveloped forest to
explore. Activities Include: Interpretive Programs, campfire programs held during the
summer, fishing, hiking, horses, rock climbing!
-
Trails: Indian Creek Trail - 1 mile gentle nature
trial, Crags Trail/Indian Springs Trail - strenuous 2.7 mile hike climbing 2,250 feet in
elevation ending at Castle Dome, an excellent spot for a picnic. Root Creek Trail -
moderately strenuous mile long trail passes through cool forests ending at Root Creek. Ten
Miles of the Pacific Crest Trail run through the park along the base of the Crags,
offering gentle walking and spectacular vistas!!
-
History: Fur Hunters and other travelers who
passed through the area prior to 1850 described the Indians who lived in the vicinity of
the park as friendly. However, in 1851, a brief, unsuccessful gold rush drove off most of
the wild game and filled the rivers and streams with silt, ruining the annual salmon run.
The Indians objected angrily and relations with the subsequent settlers were strained at
best. Then in 1855, many Indians were killed in what was perhaps the last battle in the
West in which Indians relied exclusively upon bows and arrows. Needless to say, it was a
very one-sided battle.
In 1886, the railroad brought
large-scale mining and lumbering operations. Gold mining began in 1851 though it was not
very successful. Chromite was mined and refined in this part of the state. A number of
resort sprang up with the coming of the railroad, usually near one of the area's many
mineral springs. One such spring bubbles out of the rock fountain near the park's picnic
area, which for many years, was bottled and sold as Castle Rock Mineral Water, winner of a
blue ribbon award in 1899 at the California State Fair.
- Flora & Fauna: The trees, shrubs, and
flowering plants range from the valley oak of the Upper Sonora Life Zone to the red fir
and Jeffery pine of the Canadian Life Zone. pacific yew, Port Orford and incense cedars,
black and valley oaks, sugar and ponderosa pines, Douglas-fir and white fir, Azalea, tiger
lily, pitcher plant, and several kinds of ceanothus and manzanita. red fir Jeffrey pine,
weeping spruce, western ledum, vine maple and dogwoods. Wildlife include Stellar jays,
robins, Brewer's blackbirds, western meadowlarks, common ravens, western bluebirds,
red-tailed hawks, Cooper's hawks, and great blue herons. Mammals include the coyote, gray
fox, bobcat, black bear, black-tailed deer, raccoon, California ground squirrel, gray
squirrel, fisher, and in the higher elevations of the park, the mountain lion.
Contact:
Castle Crags State Park, P.O. Box 80,
Castella, CA 96017-0080, Phone: (530) 235-2684
 Lassen
Volcanic National Park is approximately an hours drive to the east on Hwy 44,
Offering spectacular volcanic scenery and history. The active, though
"sleeping," volcano erupted explosively in 1915. Bubbling mud pots, fumaroles,
hissing steam vents, and clear mountain lakes are surrounded by old growth forests. A
moderate hike to the summit takes about 2 hours to view breathtaking vistas! Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park Website
for more detailed information and photo tour!
 McArthur
Burney Falls State Park From Interstate 5, take Highway 299 East
from Redding. Proceed to the town of Burney. McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park is
just outside of the community of Burney on Highway 89. You can also take 89 southeast of
McCloud, and Mt. Shasta. Camping, boating, fishing, and swimming and nature hikes are
available. One of the areas most beautiful spots, sometimes referred to as the 8th
wonder of the world, the 129-foot Burney Falls provides wonderful shots for the
photographer and is a Must See for the visitor. (530) 335-2777, Visit McArthur Burney Falls State
Park website for more information.
Lava
Beds National Monument Tulelake, (530) 667-2282, Centuries
ago, a group of volcanoes erupted in the Klamath Basin, near the Oregon border. The
surrounding 72-square mile area was covered with molten rock, forming a rugged landscape
that is now the Lava Beds National Monument. Cinder and spatter cones and miles of
undulating, hardened flows show the viscosity of once molten rock, flow patterns, lava
tubes, and honeycombs of caves created by sudden cooling. Visit
Lava Bed National
Monument for more information.
 Tulelake National Wildlife Preserve Thousands of
marsh birds and waterfowl nest in the wetlands of Tulelake, and hawks, owls, and falcons
raise their young on the cliffs of Sheepy Ridge. Visit Tulelake Wildlife Preserve for more
information.
Shasta
State Historic Park: 3 miles west on Highway 299 from Redding, California. Features
a museum with relics from the 1840s gold rush era! This 13-acre park, which includes a
fully restored 1861 courthouse-turned-museum and historic exhibits, is open daily. Old
Shasta (not to be confused with Mt. Shasta or Shasta Lake City) was once a thriving mining
town of 3,500.
Ahjumawi
Lava Springs State Park Encompasses over 6,000 acres, 2,000 of which are covered by
recent lava flows (530) 336-2777 Burney, Accessible to the public only by boat, the
north state's most isolated state park offers visitors a real nature experience. Located
in the Fall River Valley in northeastern Shasta County, the park's woodlands and waterways
provide a rich habitat for wildlife year-round. Within the Park's 6000 acres are
relatively recent lava flows including black basalt. All the more beautiful because so few
people visit it, lakes, rivers and creeks come together in this rugged park.
There are several maintained campgrounds available for public
use within the National Forest boundaries. Campground
and Summer Recreation and
Winter
Recreation information can be obtained on Shasta Home.
Website Contributors:
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Castle Crags 
