Things To Do In Shasta Lake

If climbing a mountain were a walk in the park, parks would be a lot more exciting. But climbing requires important safety knowledge, special equipment, and careful planning. That's why the folks at SWS Mountain Guides have set out to create an experience that allows all of their clients to focus on the climbing while they take care of the planning, equipment, and know-how it takes to make a journey great. Offering climbs on both Mount Shasta and Mount Whitney, adventurers learn about ice axes and crampons, basic mountaineering skills, and what to do in the event they discover a lonesome yeti. If local climbs aren't adventurous enough, SWS also organizes expeditions to Peru, Africa, and several of the world's highest peaks in Nepal.

Five miles north of the resort, a web of hiking trails meanders through the conifer forests and wildflower meadows of Mount Shasta, whose summit towers 14,162 feet above sea level. Hikers can take to the Black Butte Trail—a moderately steep climb—which originates on Everitt Memorial Highway amid an aromatic cluster of pine and cedar trees. About halfway up the rocky 2.5-mile trail, Black Butte unveils a sprawling, westerly view of Mount Eddy, and at this relatively level vista point, hikers often set down their wooden walking sticks and jugs of water to marvel at the Shasta valley glistening below. Within the small clapboard structure that houses the Sisson Museum, permanent exhibits showing off collections of Native American basketry and antique mountaineering artifacts illuminate Mount Shasta's eclectic culture. Families walk through the fish hatchery adjacent to the building, peering into the long, narrow ponds harboring rainbow and brown trout before moving on to the property's three kids' fishing ponds. There, amid rolling coolers and green mesh nets, parents bait hooks for jumping children eager to reel in shiny silver trout, and volunteers stroll the dirt perimeters taking photos of little ones' catches.In downtown Mount Shasta, The Goat Tavern indulges an eclectic crowd with hearty burgers and a beer list scrawled on a chalkboard. Tattooed motorcycle crews sit alongside couples in cardigans on the outdoor dining deck, which is perched above the area's main drag. Waitresses parade through, balancing dishes laden with spicy chicken sandwiches and piles of fragrant garlic fries.