Shasta Cascade

Shasta Cascade covers the far northern interior of California, the high country where the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Klamath Mountains converge. The terrain is dramatic — the volcanic cone of Mount Shasta rising to 14,179 feet, the Lassen volcanic country to the southeast, the Trinity Alps to the west, and the deep Klamath River canyons running northwest toward Oregon. Most of the region sits within national forest. Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties cover the region. Redding, Chico, Mount Shasta, Weed, and Yreka anchor the major travel routes; smaller communities at Susanville, Burney, Quincy, and Weaverville fill the back country. Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and the surrounding national forests cover most of the public land. Lake Shasta and Lake Almanor handle the major water recreation. Most trips are mountain-and-water focused. Mount Shasta carries climbers, skiers, and the spiritual-tourism crowd; Lassen Volcanic offers hydrothermal features without Yellowstone’s crowds; the lakes pull houseboats and bass anglers; the Trinity Alps support some of the most remote backpacking in California.