Sightseeing at Lake Shasta

On the lake:

Shasta Caverns - 20359 Shasta Cavern Rd, Lake Head, CA 96051, Phone: (800) 795-2283, (530) 238-2341—this cavern can be reached by car or boat. Boaters will head north on the McCloud River arm of Shasta Lake, passing Holiday Harbor Marina on the west, then look for the Lake Shasta Caverns' signs on the east side. Houseboats may park on shore while small boats and personal watercraft use the dock. Tour tickets are available for purchase at the gift shop.
Sacramento Arm - Features red basalt rocks on the western shore. Near the Antlers resort the rock creates columns like those seen at Devil’s Postpile National Monument. Across from the Antlers Resort you’ll find Indian Creek where just a little ways up is a waterfall.
McCloud Arm - This part of the lake is surrounded by limestone mountains, known as The Grey Rocks. The Grey Rocks are home to Shasta Caverns and Samwel Cave (otherwise called “Cave of the Lost Maiden). Samwel Cave is just 2 miles south of the McCloud Bridge, a trail is accessible by land only.
Squaw Creek Arm - This arm is narrower than the others, but with not quite as steep of a shoreline so there are more beach areas, making it popular for houseboating. It is also abundant with wildlife.
Pit River Arm - Home to the Pit River Bridge, high above Bridge Bay, which is the highest double-decker bridge in the U.S. The lower area is wide and open and you can see Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen. Upwards on the arm, the lake narrows revealing intimate coves and inlets for relaxing and playing.

In the area:

Shasta Dam - (530) 275-4463—Take Interstate 5 (i-5) to 7 miles north of Redding, California, USA. Take i-5 Exit #685 "Shasta Dam Blvd / 151". Drive west on Shasta Dam Blvd. (151) for 7 miles to Shasta Dam.—The visitor center has tours and a large picnic area. You can also catch a view of the dam, lake, and Mt. Shasta from Shasta Dam Vista Point on Scenic Route 151.
Castle of Crags State Park - The park is located six miles south of Dunsmuir on I-5—The park offers swimming and fishing in the Sacramento River, hiking in the back country, and a view of Mount Shasta. There are 76 developed campsites and six environmental campsites. The park features 28 miles of hiking trails, including a 2.7 mile access trail to Castle Crags Wilderness, part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Pacific Crest Trail also passes through the park.
McArthur-Burney Falls State Park - The park is northeast of Redding, six miles north of Highway 299 on Highway 89 near Burney—The park is within the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau natural region, with forest and five miles of streamside and lake shoreline, including a portion of Lake Britton. The park's centerpiece is the 129-foot Burney Falls, which is not the highest or largest waterfall in the state, but possibly the most beautiful. Additional water comes from springs, joining to create a mist-filled basin. There are five miles of hiking trails winding through the park's evergreen forests. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the park.
Shasta State Historic Park - The park is six miles west of downtown Redding. Highway 299 passes through the town’s main street.—The parks consists of a row of old, half-ruined, brick buildings remind passing motorists that Shasta City, the lusty "Queen City" of California’s northern mining district, once stood on this site. These ruins and some of the nearby roads, cottages, and cemeteries are all silent but eloquent vestiges of the intense activity that was centered here during the California gold rush.
Lassen Volcanic National Park - Lassen Volcanic National Park is located in Northeastern California. There are five separate entrances to the park, and one Main Park Road which runs North-South through the park. The Main Park Road runs between the Northwest (Manzanita Lake) park entrance and the Southwest park entrance. The remarkable hydrothermal features in Lassen Volcanic National Park include roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground. Lassen Peak is the largest of a group of more than 30 volcanic domes erupted over the past 300,000 years in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park - 840 Sundial Bridge (Auditorium) Drive, Redding, California 96001—Museum exhibits including underwater fish viewing and walks through historic re-creations, McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp, animal programs, and Sundial bridge are all part of the park.
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area - Located 8 miles west of Redding—The park provides outdoor enthusiasts with excellent opportunities for water recreation on Whiskeytown Lake, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and camping. Many of the trails tour historic sections of the park and Gold Rush Era buildings, mines and miner’s ditches may be seen.