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Castle Lake Campground

4.7 (16 reviews)

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Trekking from castle lake up to heart lake
Mandy L.

Still as amazing as ever! There are some serious nature loving vibes out there on the mountain. We rented snow shoes and hiked the short trek up to celebrate our anniversary and enjoy this view of Shasta once again. The weather was perfect for an adventure in the snow! Brisk temp (30ish degrees) to start but when you are working up that mountain it's blessedly cool to keep you comfortable. People hike without snow shoes but honestly why? They are like $20 for the day and if you don't have them you are sinking down at least a foot in some places. I am a pretty avid hiker and some of the incline was tough for sure but man is that view worth it all. With the snow shoes it made me work harder in those steep sections but overall moderate hike with killer views that you'd normally have to hike for like 6+ miles to get! Heart lake is totally frozen over as well as castle lake. I'm not brave (or stupid) enough to test the ice and see how frozen it is but people definitely have since we could see foot tracks all over the frozen lakes. To each their own I guess, lol.

Castle Lake frozen over
Joey W.

We wanted to walk around the lake and to our surprise, it was completely frozen over. We saw people sledding and building snowmen over the frozen lake so we just walked around. This place wasn't really crowded so that was really nice. You could barely hear the other people on the other side of the lake. It was my first time walking on a frozen lake! One of my friends decided to explore one of the edges of the lake and must have walked on a weak spot because she fell through, so be careful!!

Anna L.

What an unexpected gem! Over the July 4th wkd, we drove to see MacArthur Burney Falls, camped in Mount Shasta and then drove down to Castle Lake for a 2 mile hike to Heart Lake. There weren't any bathrooms we could find close to the entrance, but plenty of people who brought their inflatables, kayaks, paddle boards, lounge chairs, mats and bbq essentials. Surprisingly there was a patch of snow off the side of a mountain! Given that it was a 100+ degree day, we were so excited to play in it. After our hike, I really regretted not thinking of bringing a bathing suit. The water looked perfect!

Andrew M.

Hidden Gem. incredible Views. Easy Access. Drone Heaven. This place offers an amazing, easy to handle hike that rewards the adventurous with breathtaking views and a cool, mild summer temperature. There are some campsites here for the dedicated campers, although water is not available at the sites and the restrooms can be quite a hike from some of the specific sites. The trails around this small alpine lake are easily traversable, almost devoid of any major obstacles. There's a healthy mosquito presence, so don't forget to pack the big spray here! If you're a drone enthusiast, Castle Lake offers some chances to get that amazing view from your drone platform. If you hike far enough, you'll find some spots that are safe to launch from, including a small boat dock near the UC Davis research outpost near the north end of the lake.

Path to the lake
R B.

I was so impressed with this lake. It's so picturesque, and serene. It almost seems kind of hidden, (although it's easy to find) and there wasn't a lot of people here either. (At least during the week) The trees come right down to the water, and the water seems so clear, and smooth. There were a few people kyaking, and one person paddle boarding. Definitely a place I want to return to and spend more time. There were a few picnic tables available and lots of shade to escape the heat.

M S.

Another hidden gem in Mount Shasta. Very sad that so little people visit and there aren't many reviews. If you come in the winter like us the lake is frozen solid, even this winter which is considered warm and lacked snow. This part of the mountain was freezing cold. Some of the ice near the shore wasn't super frozen but most of the lake was solid. People were on the other side of the lake climbing. It was a long ish way and I was cold / tired so I didn't walk there. There's supposedly a frozen waterfall on the other side. I've never seen a frozen lake before so this was truly a fascinating experience. It was a truly serene winter wonderland feel - not crowded either so you won't hear much other than nature. No bears or anything like that since they're all hibernating this time of the year

Diving rocks
Jackie M.

Soooo beautiful. This is a yearly vacation spot for us. The lake doesn't allow motor boats, there are plenty of shallow spots for little kids to play. There is a bunch of hiking trails. I highly recommend.

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11 months ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Address is way wrong!!! This will take you to a neighborhood. Use Google! Unless you like it

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

A beautiful place to go! 100 percent recommend! The lake is close! Better then Lake Siskiyou camp resort they aren't the best!

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10 years ago

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Review Highlights - Castle Lake Campground

On the other side of the lake, there's a more difficult trail that goes up the mountain to Heart Lake and the peak.

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Shasta Mountain Guides - Breast Cancer Fund's annual Climb Against the Odds celebrates the summit

Shasta Mountain Guides

4.8(29 reviews)
0.3 mi

Totally awesome day on Mt. Shasta with our guide Daniel. My dad and I booked a one-day tour with…read moreSMG to strengthen our backcountry skiing skills and to get to ski some of the awesome terrain on Shasta. We skinned up to around 9400ft and then transitioned to ski down. Daniel went out of his way to care for our safety, learning, and experience on the mountain. You could also tell he cared a lot about the mountain, town, and the outdoors in general. If you're getting into backcountry skiing, I highly recommend a day tour with SMG on Shasta!

I have been on two expeditions with Shasta Mountain Guides, and a friend has gone on a third trip…read more None of these trips saw the summit. Now I understand that in mountaineering weather plays a deciding role in if a summit is reached or not, but it seems to me like reaching the summit is NOT a priority at ALL. I mean ZERO priority. On this second trip, I was also told by one of the guides that my "footwork" was not good enough (whatever that means), so I was forbidden to head up towards the red banks. Meanwhile, I was in lockstep with the rest of my crew, and was not complaining, for a major blister I had on my heal. After having spent $3,000+ for the guides, (not to mention all other associated costs) they served ramen noodles with frozen meatballs in a cup. (Not a plate, meaning portions were tiny). Personally, I find their guidance underwhelming, and for someone to decide whether or not I can climb is preposterous. I do not recommend this company.

Photos
Shasta Mountain Guides - 50+ mph winds, forced to turn around

50+ mph winds, forced to turn around

Shasta Mountain Guides
Shasta Mountain Guides - Reach the summit with Shasta Mountain Guides

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Reach the summit with Shasta Mountain Guides

Mount Shasta - Sign for the 14-mile John Everitt Memorial Highway drive up towards Mount Shasta.

Mount Shasta

4.2(10 reviews)
9.1 mi

An inactive volcano, Mount Shasta is the fifth-highest mountain in the Golden State. 14,179 feet…read moretall it dominates the landscape of this area of Northern California. I'm from North Carolina, which boasts the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi (Mount Mitchell, 6684 feet). Allegedly, the volcano was last active in 1250 AD. No Yelp then to prove it one way or the other. There is a fabulous vista point not far away on I-5. I'd love to catch it at sunrise but alas, I'm heading south this afternoon and can't stay to get closer to Mount Shasta. Instead, I'll just have to be satisfied with the great views of the mountain from the highway. [Review 20958 overall - 488 in California - 1943 of 2023.]

Driving past Mount Shasta on I-5 you just can't miss this natural piece of beauty. Its 100 degrees…read moreand somehow the mountain still appears snow capped in late summer. Most of the surrounding area is very flat and then all of a sudden your attention is fully grabbed by is presence. An unplanned stop and slight detour isn't a hard decision to make. I pull over and stop. Open the trunk and pull out a little bottle of apple cider I packed for the trip to Seattle. I sip the near burning hot cider and it reminds me of the holidays - the only time I would have such a beverage. Apparently my Black Opel paint made the back trunk into an oven of sorts. I gaze at what appears to be a snow capped mountain volcano. It takes a moment to realize the altitude difference of the top of the mountain and where I'm standing - apparently 14,162 feet. I take a small hike or nature walk. I pick up some rocks that had a huge volume and very little weight. Apparently lava that dried up when it was near the surface and under no pressure. I think most of the time in life some of the most enjoyable moments and events are unplanned. Maybe schedules and windows of time and reservations are overrated.

Photos
Mount Shasta - 11.26.23 Mt Shasta - elevation of 14,179 feet

11.26.23 Mt Shasta - elevation of 14,179 feet

Mount Shasta - Mount Shasta, California

Mount Shasta, California

Mount Shasta - Mount Shasta in the backdrop while standing in the downtown area of Mount Shasta, California.

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Mount Shasta in the backdrop while standing in the downtown area of Mount Shasta, California.

Castle Lake Campground - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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