From the guest services to the camp host this place has excellent amenities and staff. Very clean…read moreand well maintained facilities. The hike to the Crags is a once in a lifetime experience that if you are able to do you should not miss. Beautiful great views of Shasta and Lassen from the top of the Dome at the Crags. Be well rested, hydrated and prepared as it is a hefty hike. Also get to the trail head parking lot early as it fill up quickly! Thank you Christina and Woody!

I spent the past four nights here, and it was very quiet, dark, and peaceful…read more Quiet with the caveat that there was a TON of train noise. But if you like white noise, that might be a plus. This was the darkest campground I've ever camped at so far. The view of the stars was great. The cold was on another level. I wouldn't recommend tent camping unless you really know what you're doing. Theoretically, this campground has free showers, but they are closed for the season. I couldn't help but notice that the windows have been broken into and boarded back up. There was theoretically potable water, but it tasted a little funky. Most of the pumps were broken, which made it seem like maybe the rest are about to be determined to be broken soon. There was an electric outlet in the bathroom with a sign warning not to leave personal items. In site 25, which is reserved for PCT hikers, I found another sign warning that items are frequently stolen from the bathrooms, and to use the outlets hidden in the amphitheater instead. (There is also a Starbucks about fifteen minutes away in Shasta.) A trail behind site 25 leads to the PCT, but the trail was currently full of fallen trees and hazards. Another trail near Vista Point turned out to be a safer route to the PCT. A 2 mile trail leads from the campground to Vista Point, where you can either keep hiking, or take in the panoramic views of Mt. Shasta, Castle Crags, and the Gray Rocks. I chose site 38 to camp in, which was at the end of the line of sites that are currently open. The first two nights, I paid with the self serve envelope. The rest I purchased from the Ranger Station. Camping was only $25/night, half off with qualifying passes. So it only cost me $50 to stay here 4 nights. The spaces on the main road were huge, and very well spaced. There was a camp host on duty on site 20, and maintenance came through every day to clean the restrooms and empty the trash. I didn't see much wildlife except for a lot of birds. Wildflowers were just beginning to bloom on the trails. There isn't much to do near the campground, but I found this to be a great place to have some relative peace and quiet for a few days.

What a gem! We were very surprised when we drove back into these gardens at just how lovely and…read morenatural they were. Only a few feet back from the busy roadway you are transported into a natural oasis. You are greeted by a pretty fountain and then the creek and nature trails. There is a playground and the gardens themselves, which are on the small side, but have a large green space in the center for you to enjoy. We walked down to the water first and just sat relaxing and enjoying the sounds. The gardens were nice, if small, and I loved the Japanese Maples everywhere. This is a very family friendly and dog friendly spot. The bathrooms were oddly dark and I had to use the flashlight on my phone but they were reasonably clean and this location is totally free and open to any and everyone. It is definitely worth checking out.

Small but scenic garden tucked away in Dunsmuir city park. It's not got a lot of flowers or…read moresections but does have a peaceful woodland setting with the river running by. There's plenty of parking and picnic tables to relax and enjoy the area. It's a modest garden but nicely kept and a great way to stretch your legs and enjoy the peace of the river flowing by.

A short distance walk from the parking lot. Parking is limited and free…read more It was a cool experience to be able to walk behind the falls. Pretty easy trail. Be careful as the rocks around and behind the falls can be very slippery. The trail does continue behind the falls that will lead to the Sacramento River. A cool one time thing but not worth the drive unless you are in the area.

Great little hike, work the walk. Little park at the trailhead, dog friendly, easy hike for me and…read moremy dogs. Cool falls, not an excessive amount of water due to time of year, can walk behind the falls. I didn't hike beyond the falls as I had a long drive ahead of me. So glad I found this spot. Lots of berry plants, beware of poison oak. You can scan a QR code to donate to the upkeep of the park, trail and falls.

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.

The water is hypothermia inducingly cold, the walk is treacherous and the falls aren't that…read moreexciting. You can take the long route which requires a lot more walking near the train tracks or attempt the river crossing which could end with you swept miles downriver or drowned. At any moment they could let water out of the down to send a surge down the Sacramento River and send you off through rocks and rapids below the falls. The trains come through fast and around blind corners and the roar of the river masks the sound of the train. It is a dangerous hike and people have died there. I don't recommend it for day trippers or casual tourists. Advanced hiking skills required and extra attention to safety and strong swimmers only. Even in mid August the water is high and freezing and the river crossing is very slippery and dangerous. If you know what you are doing and manage the trek there and back you will have seen one of the areas smaller but pretty waterfalls. There is talk of building a trail with a pedestrian bridge to the falls so once that is done it will likely be overrun with day trippers. I recommend going now but be careful.

A must visit in Dunsmuir! Live the cascading waterfall so majestic , calm and mesmerizing ! It's…read moreour second time here and definitely be more visit in the future ! We had the whole waterfall to ourselves

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.

After hiking around Burney Falls, we made our way to check out McCloud River. The falls are divided…read moreby upper, middle and lower. Each section has their own parking lot. We parked in the lower falls parking lot and hiked our way up. The hike from lower to middle was easy. We skipped the upper falls. Beautiful views of the waterfalls. There are portable potty in each level. Really dirty, no sink and stinky but if you gotta go, you gotta go :)

McCloud Falls should have its own Yelp page listing because this is like posting about Niagara…read moreFalls in a Niagara River page. McCloud and Burney Falls (an hour away) make the best one-two punch for waterfalls outside Yosemite. However, unlike Burney Falls, McCloud Falls has lots of free parking and no entrance fee because it is not a state park. Upper Falls is the least dramatic. An ADA-accessible trail leads to an observation deck about 90 feet above the falls. The fact that people were waiting efficiently in a line to take a photo was more exciting for me than the falls itself. Plus, it is a bit strange looking down on waterfalls. Stupid waterfalls. Anyhow, of the three locations Upper Falls offers a quieter environment, ideal for relaxation and reflection, especially if the water is still. Lower Falls was the most chaotic, with two lanes of parking lot traffic on a one-way road, and more kids sprawling the river for swimming. The area, stocked with trout, seemed the more picnic and day trippy of the falls, the best place to eat your lunch. Middle Falls is the money shot. The postcard. The one that has people posing for hours for the 'Gram. This is because it's 50 feet high and over 100 feet wide, creating a curtain of water over a basalt cliff into a pool below. McCloud Falls deserves its own Yelp page--lumping it in with a generic "McCloud River" listing is like posting Niagara Falls under the Niagara River. Come on now. Together, McCloud Falls and Burney Falls (just an hour apart) make the best one-two punch for waterfall chasers outside of Yosemite. But unlike Burney Falls, located in a state park that charges an entrance fee, McCloud Falls offers something rare and beautiful: lots of free parking and zero entrance fees. My favorite kind of waterfalls are free. Upper Falls is the least dramatic of the trio. A well-maintained ADA-accessible trail leads to an observation deck perched about 90 feet above the falls. Ironically, the orderly line of people waiting to snap a photo was more thrilling than the waterfall itself. Also, there's something a little odd about looking down on a waterfall. Stupid waterfalls. That said, Upper Falls is the most peaceful and serene, making it perfect for quiet moments of reflection--especially when the water is still. Lower Falls is the more chaotic of the trio, with two lanes of traffic trying to share a narrow one-way road, while kids are sprawled across the banks of a rushing, whitewater river. The area, stocked with trout, feels tailor-made for picnics and day trips--the kind of place where sandwiches taste better for no logical reason. Middle Falls is the showstopper. The money shot. The backdrop of annoying Instagram photo sessions. At 50 feet high and over 100 feet wide, it sends a dramatic curtain of water spilling over a basalt cliff into a pool below, with summer crowds climbing the shoreline boulders and wading into the 42 degree water just to ruin your pictures. I had to edit out so many people, they should call them McPhotoshop Falls.

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

Located in Castle Crags State Park, the Dome is one of the area's most prominent features…read more You can summit it via hiking, or there are numerous technical rock routes. Unfortunately for punters like me, the easiest line is 5.8, and the grades rise dramatically from there. Maybe some day when I'm stronger!

Awesome hike from the upper parking lot to the base of Castle Crag Dome! The first part of the…read morehike is a tree covered dirt path with a steady incline. The last mile or so is switchback style over very rocky rough terrain. It is a gorgeous view of the canyon and up to Mt Shasta at the top!

Sisson Meadow is wonderful little park right near downtown Mt Shasta. It's free to enter and a very…read moreeasy stroll. Most of it is on a raised boardwalk through the meadow that gives you sweeping views of the mountain. In June there were still some wildflowers as well as some of the biggest dandelions I've ever seen. After driving up to the area and being in the car all day, this was a great way to stretch my legs and get my first glimpse of the mountains. Scenic stroll with some benches to relax on and admire the views. You won't need to spend a lot of time here or plan your day around it, but it's a worthwhile stop.

Great place to watch the sunset. It is a serene place with benches and paths. It is quiet and…read moreprivate. Great place for photography.