Mount Shasta is an incredibly beautiful mountain and volcano. If your driving between Seattle and…read moreLos Angeles you can't miss it from the highway. There are probably a couple different cities that you can enjoy Mount Shasta from but my favorite city is Weed. They have hotels and gift shops and is a cute little town with everything you need. There are two exits for Weed off the highway. One exit is the 'old town' part that is more cute and the other exit is the newer part. I think staying a night here is a perfect thing to do as the scenery is so pleasant. It really is a destination. So often to see natural beauty like this you have to sacrifice comforts of city living. Not with Mount Shasta - its a town that has it all and is just steps away from a little nature walk with an incredible backdrop. It is a real sight to see when you have this regular old Shell Gas station or even Grocery Outlet where the backdrop is the volcano. I don't think you can ever get tired of the harmony here of man made combined with nature.

Incredible volcano and mountain…read more Really recommend spending some time around the nature in this area, even if you won't be committing a summit climb. I went up this past weekend with the attempt to summit Shasta and had a really nice time. The town of Mt. Shasta has a few restaurants and some decent accomodations for sleeping (slept in Loge with our group which was great)... As for the hike, we went up and started at Bunny Flats and camped at Helen Lake for the night and then going for the summit via the Avalanche Gulch route. It was a beautiful and trying hike...definitely be familiar with the risks and have the proper skills to manage them if attempting. All in all; Mount Shasta is majestic and magical. Spend some time here!

A guided tour of Lake Shasta Cavern. You can get tickets online or in person inside their gift…read moreshop. Tour included boat ride to the bus, bus ride to the cavern. Inside the cave, there are so many different rock formations. Each section, our tour guide gave many interesting facts and information. Be prepared to walked through hundreds and hundreds of stairs. Up and down. Some can be pretty steep and slippery. The ground inside were mostly wet and muddy. I will recommend wearing comfy shoes, hiking shoes, closed toes shoes or any shoes you don't mind getting tons of muds on it. It can get chilly inside the cave, so bring a jacket just in case. At the end of the tour, you get a chance to take pictures with the beautiful colorful formations. Once the tour is done, you will walk back to the bus stop to get a ride back to the boat. The boat will then take you back to the starting point. Plenty of parking. There are restrooms to use.

Dog-Friendly Adventure!…read more Lake Shasta Caverns was the perfect stop on our road trip from Portland to San Francisco! We were thrilled to discover it's dog-friendly and our pup loved every minute of it. The location is ideal for a midway break, and late May weather was absolutely beautiful. We arrived 30 minutes early and found parking easily. The gift shop kept us entertained while we waited, and the boat ride across the lake set the perfect tone for what was to come. But the real star? The caverns themselves. The natural beauty and the opportunity to explore with my dog made this feel truly special. Fair WARNING: you will get your steps in! The climb to the cathedral room is steep, and my partner and I, who are gym-goers with an active dog, definitely felt it. That said, the views (and the bats!) absolutely make it worth it. I noticed some older visitors and those recovering from knee surgery opted out, and a few families with small children were cautious on the descent, so know what you're signing up for. The walk back down requires careful footing so please take your time and watch your step. The tour guide wasn't as polished as I'd hoped and leaned a bit too playful for our taste, but honestly? You're paying for the scenery, not the commentary. And yes, it's pricey, but it genuinely feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Overall, worth every penny and every step. Highly recommend!

Meh..The place is heavily graffitied and smells like urine. I got a very disturbing and somewhat…read moreevil vibe from the place. Your GPS may take you off an unpaved dirt road - glad we had a 4 wheel drive truck, about .4 miles to where you will see a sign for 'Plutos' Cave' and another dirt rood offshoot behind the sign with a lowered gate behind it. DON'T GO THAT WAY. Look around the little parking area for a path with rocks painted white on either side. THAT path will take you to the cave. Some smart person also painted several rocks white on the path to the cave. Look for those as there are several path offshoots.

I would not consider putting Pluto's cave on your bucket list, but if you are in the area it is a…read morecool place to check out. It is not really a place you want to take the kids, more like a place for people with no children that want to experience a spooky experience. The caves are definitely filled with human negative energy. We did not stay long, we just checked them out from a distance, but did not go actually in to the deeper section. This is more like for a group of 3 or more.

I was having lunch with my parents today at our usual pizza spot, shout out Stark Street Pizza, and…read morewe were talking about all the times we would drive to Tahoe years ago. This prompted me to ask my parents if they remembered ever seeing the Truck Village. They said they had not. We all found that interesting. As I stated in my previous review, I used to drive I-5 from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA somewhat frequently. On my way home to Portland I would pull off Exit 743 North, just south of Weed, CA, and have a bite of my packed lunch and admire the vividly painted water trucks that are neatly parked in a perfect display for passers by. The view heading south on I-5 isn't as good. I did some internet sleuthing on this matter. It seems that the provenance of these trucks and where the name "Rainbow Drive" the road you follow to the gate is beyond my ability to attain. The earliest mention of it is on an online travel message board back in 2006. I was making the drive in 2010-2011. The most recent post was 2023. This iconic roadside attraction is mysterious indeed. 2024 - Review # 23

Just love these colorful trucks all lined up! Look forward to this welcome to CA several times a…read moreyear as we go to/from WA state. Thanks for the eye candy! Ps. I have never bought a water truck but if I did I would think if this place first

I've been to where lava flows were before but never have I walked/climbed through where lava tubes…read moreactually are before. This was definitely an experience if you haven't done it! $15.00-25.00 to bring your horse, bicycle, motorcycle cycle, car or RV into the park. Doesn't matter how warm outside as the caves are cool to freezing with ice depending on which cave and how far down it goes. Headlamps/flashlights are needed but headlamps easiest so you can use both your hands. The fantastic Park Rangers will not only give you expert advice on what caves are best suited for you but the history about this amazing park. Skull Cave before you get to the visitors center was my first cave. After descending the short rock staircase then a rock floor then to a metal landing and down the metal staircase lower and lower into the cold dark earth. At the bottom is a Skull, bones and ice. The hand rails were freezing. Wish I would have brought my gloves. The visitors center can help with what caves are where and offer helmets, flashlights and other needs via borrow, rent or buy. Closed shoes, knee pads, etc for tight caves recommended. The others I tried weren't near that cold but still really incredible in different ways. To see all the melting of rock and burn scars through these tubes is spectacular. Our earth is alive and so amazing. There are some bathrooms at some of the sites but not all so take advantage. Also, make sure to wear clothing you've never worn in other caves. Transfer of biologicals is real and could very negatively effect the bats in here. An awe experience and I highly recommend it. Some spaces also might be a bit small in case you're claustrophobic. Many are not tight but pitch black. Better than any Halloween haunted house with the creep jumping out at you. A park experience not to miss!

Most Californians don't even know this place exists, and that's a genuine shame. Lava Beds sits…read morenear the Oregon border and holds over 800 lava tube caves -- some small enough to belly-crawl through, others you can walk through upright. Above ground, the Schonchin Butte Trail (1.8 mi) climbs to a fire lookout with massive panoramic views of the high desert. There's also Native American rock art at Petroglyph Point! Spring wildflowers fill the basalt fields, and the dark skies here at night are about as good as it gets in the state.

While driving through Sundial Bridge Dr, I saw a sign that says "Monolith". I had no idea what it…read moreis. We made a stop to check it out. It is located next to Sheraton hotel. Remains of Shasta Dam that was converted into art pieces. Learned a bit about the history of Redding during this quick stop. Free to explore and browse. Free parking as well.

This is an amazing landmark and art piece that's on the grounds of the Sheraton Redding Hotel at…read morethe Sundial Bridge. It's basically an old aggregate plant that took stones from the Sacramento River and used a miles-long conveyor belt to send them to be used in the construction of the Shasta Dam. It's a very cool piece of history that easily flies under the radar.

This is a quick spot to pull over to take in the view of Mount Shasta. There are a few educational…read moreboards with information along the sidewalk, but not much else. The view isn't even all that good. In all, it's an okay spot to get out and stretch the legs for a few minutes, but that's it.

Amazing view! ...and people's garbage left behind. The view is incredible though. I wish it had…read moreenough elevation to get photos with out trying to hide the traffic.

After exploring Lake Shasta Cavern, we stopped by to check out Shasta Dam. Free to park and visit…read more There is a visitor center. Inside the visitor center, there is a restroom :) You can see Mount Shasta from a distance. What a view! Looking down from the dam was really scary. Do so at your own risk. I had to hold my phone very steady to snap a photo from above. I am afraid of heights but the dam did look nice from the top center of the dam. A nice stroll from end to end.

The views are amazing and anxiety imposing!…read more You can walk out onto the dam and looking either way, the views are spectacular. To your one side, amazing anxiety driving views where even if you're not afraid of heights, you'll start breathing heavy. Then, on the other side, spectacular views of lake Shasta with imposing mountains in the backdrop. Connected to a cool visitor station, this is worth the drive to visit if you're around the area.

Very interesting and unique experience. Very dark cave inside. Definitely bring flashlights,…read moreheadlamps or use phone lights. Short trail inside. Wet, muddy, uneven and rocky trail. Wear appropriate shoes. It can get very cold inside so bring a jacket. Free to explore. Parking lot and restroom in the front.

Best way to cool off from the heat wave…read more Bring sturdy shoes bc the ground is rough Bring flashlights and try not to bring led lights as to not blind others Amazing lava flow chambers