Mount Shasta Wilderness

The United States Congress designated the Mt. Shasta Wilderness in 1984 and it now has a total of 33,845 acres. All of this wilderness is located in California and is managed by the Forest Service.  Even first-time visitors to the area have no trouble identifying Mount Shasta. Dominating the landscape for several hundred miles in all directions, the mountain looms 14,162 feet, a beautiful snow-cloaked massif, second only to Mount Rainier in height among the famous Cascade Range volcanoes. Although the last documented eruption occurred in 1786, geologists classify Shasta as an active volcano. Most of the Wilderness lies on the upper slopes of the mountain. Below the seven glaciers that drape the mountain's slopes, you'll find a land of scenic wonder: ancient lava flows, a hot sulphur spring, waterfalls tumbling down deep canyons cut through rugged buttes. Stunted and picturesque red and white fir and whitebark pine grow near the tree line (around 8,000 feet). They preside above a forest of pure red fir and mixed conifers that include hemlock, cedar, sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, white fir, and Douglas fir, with an understory of shrubs. On the north side of the mountain, where the lava once flowed, you'll find some aspen, mountain mahogany, and juniper. In July and early August, meadows below timberline explode with wildflower color. Deer and black bears live here with an abundance of ground squirrels and coyotes.