Castle Lake

Castle Lake – wow. The drive from the town of Mount Shasta to Castle Lake is beautiful, and the lake itself is crystal clear and surrounded by forest. Many use the lake as a starting point to hike to Heart Lake, which we hear is also stunning and provides great views of the mountain. However, we only had a short amount of time during our visit, so we opted to walk the short trail along Castle Lake instead. It was shady and had plenty of alcoves to stop and sit by the water, which we happily did. During June, it was sunny and in the 70s, with lots of wildflowers blooming.

We would highly recommend making it to Castle Lake, especially if you’re short on time when visiting Mount Shasta. You can take in expansive views on the drive up and experience the peaceful waters of the lake without needing to dedicate an entire day to the outing.