I had such a wonderful short hike at this preserve this past August. Located in Shasta/Trinity…read morenational forest, entrance is free. I parked the Upper falls and followed the trail along the river to see those falls followed by Middle and Lower Falls, If you start where I did it's downhill first with the uphill on the way back but it's a fairly easy grade. The falls each had their own unique attributes and Middle and Lower falls have swimming access. Really lovely area and not too crowded.

We finally got a glimpse of this beauty well, the lower…read morefalls of it! Still beautiful. We walked about 1.1 miles to get to the lower falls because the road was closed. It was a really easy and breeze of a hike. There's a lookout point once you get to the waterfall and there's also stairs if you prefer to get a closer view of the waterfall. All in all, this hike is about 3.2 miles round trip and there's plenty of snow to walk & see right now.

Sacred Headwaters of the Sacramento River. Clean, pure, amazing drinking water for all. Wonderful…read morecommunity and people. Fun times!

It's a beautiful place to access the 50-year-old water spring. A lot of people come here to fill…read moretheir water containers.

Very well maintained trail along the perimeter of Lake Siskiyou. Decent amount of free parking near…read morethe trailhead/lakefront with bathrooms and trash cans. Tons of folks with boating equipment and stuff to hang out by the lake front and relax, fish, or have a picnic. The trail itself is a loop and you can turn around at any point. Not terribly strenuous and almost all flat - great for little ones/carrying a baby. There is a developed camp and a beach on the other side of the lake. If you're interested in a little bit more seclusion, there is plenty of space to spread out and relax, looking up at the base of Mt Shasha!

This spot was utterly incredibly! Came here with my family as it is my brothers birthday and we…read morethought a Mount Shasta trip would be a nice easy fun get away from the rigors of Los Angeles and the concrete jungle. We stopped by after eating around the area (recommend the smokehouse or bbq, stay away from the Mexican food at all costs!!) So we went to cable beach and got off and walked around and went to the lake to skip rocks and hang out as we unfortunately forgot our bathing suits. The view was so incredible, and perfect I couldn't even believe the how breathtaking it was at sunset . We skipped many rocks and even made it into a competition which I won, then I went off and found a great stump to take pictures on and unfortunately I slipped and fell on the rocks. Caution! Many rocks here so take water shoes or something with a thick bottom! Although it was pretty funny I'm still hurting haha. We saw boats on the lake and some people off to the side having a picnic and taking a dip in the lovely, warm water. All in all this was an incredible place to stop by and visit! I highly, highly, highly, HIGHLYYY recommend coming here!

I tried to find a listing for the actual Castle Lake but instead just found the campground. To be…read moreclear, the campground is a short distance prior to the actual lake which has its own parking lot and trailheads. Once parked at the lake, you can embark on the moderate trail to Heart Lake. Approaching the lake, the trail is to the left of it and climbs along the lake shore with intermittent views. As you take a gradual but steady climb up, you will start to see views open up and eventually see Mt Shasta itself. Most hikers stop at Heart Lake which is a scenic spot with granite on one side and on the outlet side of the lake for Shasta views. If you're wanting a little bit of a longer hike, when facing the lake, make a right and log hop across its outlet and follow a faint but obvious trail to a rocky outcropping. There you will reach an amazing vista of Castle Lake and Mt Shasta. It's a great spot to have your lunch and take some amazing photos. Take care on the way down as there are some steep drop offs and slippery rocks. Most of the trail is exposed, so I'd go earlier in the day in the warm months. Depending on how far you go, it's 3-4 miles out and back. Wonderful way to have amazing mountain scenery in a short hike. Free parking at the lake and pit toilets (not the best, not the worst I've seen.)

This review is for Heart Lake Trail From Castle Lake which was a ~3 miles round trip that took ~2…read morehour to complete. One of the must do hikes near Dunsmuir. Trail was a steady incline for the most part and becomes very steep near the end. Furthermore, trail transitions from a wooded area to a rocky and exposed terrain. Stunning views of the nearby mountains and lakes at higher elevation! Heart Lake was actually referring to a small lake at the top. At the end of the hike, you get a heart shaped view of Castle Lake! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/Xc34KEsV1TE By the way, the address on Yelp is incorrect. Use AllTrails or Google.

Peaceful; wear hiking shoes; bring hiking sticks just in case; there was a very narrow steep path-…read morebe careful; you will feel the vortex or maybe even hear strange rock or thump sound... be careful; it is pretty secluded

This is NOT for beginners or folks with anxiety or afraid of heights. First you want to be gentle…read moreon your car on the drive down to the trail. It was about 1.5 miles of extremely bumpy/rocky road. The regular part of the hike wasn't too bad. Very inclined and tough for folks with asthma...make sure you have your inhaler and some water. Very Rocky as well. Saw a few folks with non-hiking shoes on. Wear tennis shoes or boots. No sandals or flip flops or Birkenstocks. There are NO markers, so that's fun. You have to follow your phone map. When you get to the divide, one hill up to Ney river (right) or down to the falls (left), this is where it gets so sticky! And folks with fear of heights or anxiety, DO NOT GO! The path gets super narrow, sandy, and anything to hold onto like trees and rocks disappear (didn't get a photo as I was having a panic attack). It was truly awful for someone with fear of heights and anxiety. Not worth it for me. The waterfall was beautiful, just not necessary!

Parking was pretty empty and easy. Nice hike. Lots of lizards and rabbits to see. We went about 2…read moremiles in. Was a great exercise for my kid and I. Good clearly marked trails. Nice walking soil. Amazing sight of Mt. Shasta. Good clean air. We found a random geocache and signed it. See if you can find it!

Great outdoors! Beauty all around me. What a gift to breathe fresh air among all these trees.read more

Fresh water, hippies, unique vibes. There were people bringing their 10 gallon jugs filling up…read morewater here. They even rinse out their jug first using the spring water to clean out the residual contaminents. We were wary at first, but then we filled up our water bottles as well. I'll be honest -- I think there is a charged energy to the water and space here. When we left, we felt lighter and recharged. I probably wouldn't bring kids here because there are suspicious individuals and people smoking. I had some interesting conversations with the local hippies.

Such a cool freshwater spring. It's small (so want to keep things in context), but the spring is…read morethe headwater for the Sacramento River...and people bring bottles to sip fresh spring water. It's delicious and special. Please be respectful and keep this amazing and spiritual place pristine so everyone can enjoy it.

What a gorgeous place to spend time relaxing with an incredible view of Shasta. We were able to…read morefind parking at one of the public access lots, which is free, and then took a short wander down to the lakeshore to take in the majestic beauty. Highly recommend pulling off the interstate for a rest stop here to stretch your legs and breathe in the crisp air!

I stopped by Lake Siskiyou twice during my recent trip to the Mt Shasta area. Once was to sit by…read morethe water and relax, following a long hike earlier in the day and have lunch at the nearby resorts bar & grill (separate review for that.) The second visit was to hike the trail along the lake. For the beach time, it was a week day and it too crowded. I was able to snag a bench near the resort's public beach and enjoy the iconic views of Mt Shasta. As for the lakeside trail, it goes all the way around and is approximately 7 miles. I was short on time, so did a 3 mile out and back. Along the way, there are forested paths, Mt Shasta views and meadows to enjoy. The trail wasn't well signed and I lost it at some points. Since I was only doing a small section of it, I just followed the lakeshore best I could on my out and back. Early morning, it was a peaceful place. I'd love to come back and see about kayaking the lake or doing the entire trail. Lovely spot and a nice way to unwind near Shasta

Rafted the Klamath River with a friend and Aaron as our guide this weekend. Aaron was very…read moreknowledgeable about the history of the river, the vegetation, and the people significant to the development of the river. We were very impressed with Aaron! Had a blast rafting down the river with the beautiful surrounding scenery, the quiet waters mixed in with rapids - so much fun! What a great finish to our vacation in Mt. Shasta. Thank you, Aaron!

What a wonderful experience Aaron provided for us and our 13 year old grandsons. So fun hearing the…read moreboys giggles when we hit the white water, they were the oar man on the front of the raft. It took several conversations with Aaron before the boys jumped into the chilly water and then we couldn't get them out. Aaron's knowledge of the river and area was also a lovely surprise during our float. I would highly recommend utilizing his service in Mount Shasta.

The best aspect of taking a tour with Robin Kohn is that she can customize the tour per your…read moreinterests, and, more importantly, your fitness level. She can structure your tour so you get to see the best sights, keeping your comfort level in mind. I am not very active physically, but, under Robin's guidance and protection, I was able to take 2 separate tours, a 2.5 hour tour and a 4 hour tour the following day. I was able to see McCloud Falls, all 3 levels, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake, climb up to Faery Falls under Robin's guidance, went up to 7,000 feet up Mt Shasta, stood in a Golden vortex, and had the experience of a lifetime! It is important for visitor to the area to have the expertise of a guide like Robin as she knows the trails a newcomer must take to make it safely up to Faery Falls. Moreover, she has the equipment you need to stay safe from the wildlife of the area. She provides walking sticks and has all the emergency equipment needed in her back pack. While touring, Robin will state the history, facts and figures, and pivotal events that shaped the area. Get ready to marvel at what beauty is in this area as Mother Nature presents the finest scenery! You're bound to take many amazing photos. Robin herself is a trailblazer as she was with the forest department, was with search and rescue teams saving people's lives, and is a published author. I highly recommend Robin Kohn. You are in good safe hands with Robin Kohn as your tour guide and you are in for a fantastic adventure!

I have been hiking and snowshoeing with Robin for many years…read more Personable and very knowledgeable about the birds, trees, flowers, and wildlife. I am always learning new stuff. I love her respect for nature. Great Guide!!