Hike Mt. Shasta

Sunset on Mount Shasta, seen from next to the arch on Cerro Pedernal.

There are a lot of unknown and mysterious landmarks all around Mount Shasta. Ice caves on the mountain’s east flanks (on the mountain, not near Medicine Lake!), hidden waterfalls, unusual geologic features like the Hole In The Ground and a host of other sites add beauty and a sense of the unknown all around Mount Shasta. One kind of geologic curiosity that tends to slip under the radar in the Mount Shasta area is rock arches. Well known on the Colorado Plateau and other parts of the west, they never enter the discussion as points of interest around the mountain. There are two arches near Mount Shasta that I find particularly interesting. One is “known” and the other virtually unknown but to a literal handful of people.

One of the arches is high in the Castle Crags, just below the highest point in the giant granite pluton. It is unnamed, but I generally refer to it as the Crags Arch. It is genuinely surprising to me that this arch remains generally unknown. I find this surprising because the arch is visible to the naked eye from Mount Shasta City. However, it is difficult to recognize it as an arch from town when you don’t even know it exists. Nonetheless, if you know where to look, it is obvious.

It is certainly frequented by local hikers but outside but the numbers are few. The hike there is fantastic, with great views the whole way. The highlight is the traverse along the crest of the crags with granite spires thrusting into the air. Though there is no trail the route is obvious and travel is fairly easy. This section is the only place I have found where Brewers Spruce is the dominant tree in the forest.

Naturally, the view of Mount Shasta from the arch is excellent, as is the perspective of the Grey Rock, which can be seen through the arch when looking south. Overall, this is a magnificent destination and one of my favorite hikes in the region. There are also many more mysterious features to the east, along the crest of the crags…

The second arch is far, far more secretive. Located on the north side of Mount Shasta in the Shasta Valley, it lies on land that is traveled by only a very few people and those with permission from those who own the land through which it is accessed. Nonetheless, the arch itself is on public land. Like the Crags Arch, it is near the summit of a peak that towers high above the landscape. My family refers to the officially unnamed peak as Cerro Pedernal due to its vague resemblance to the New Mexico peak famously painted by Georgia O’Keefe. The arch one is not visible when looking from below. Instead, one must climb up to it in order to recognize the formation for what it is.

Also like the Crags Arch, the view from the Cerro Pedernal arch is spectacular. Indeed, this northern vista is among the best vantages from which to enjoy Mount Shasta and the surrounding landscape. Not only Mount Shasta but all the other major peaks in the immediate region are visible. The prominence of Mount Eddy is particularly noteworthy when viewed from the Shasta Valley. Other peaks further afield, such as Mount Ashland and Mount McLoughlin in Oregon are visible from just above the arch.

No doubt there are other arches around Mount Shasta that wait to be discovered (or have been by secretive explorers!). They are just a few among the many amazing geologic features that surround the North State’s most magnificent peak. The lure of the unknown treasure are part of the siren call that draws adventurers to the mountain.