Can you die without walking? Journey to American National Parks (23) Mt. Shasta's Jewels - Castle Lake Edition
Written by Sayaka Kato
Following on from the previous post in the series, Shasta's gem spot this time Castle Lake .
It's also a short drive from the previous "Lake Syskew" and "Ney Springs and Faery Falls."
Castle Lake is completely frozen during the winter. The area is surrounded by a pure white silver world, but even in winter, you can go to the car park with a 4-wheel drive vehicle or winter tires.
In winter, people often enjoy cross-country and snowshoes in the mountains around Castle Lake, but in the summer to fall season from May to October, it is a place for people to relax, such as camping, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and other water activities.
Around May and June, when the snow melts and the trails open, you will be able to travel from the trails that begin at Castle Lake to Heart Lake. Hart Lake will be hiking on a glacier lake in the rocky valley deep in Castle Lake.
The view from here is also exceptional. Heart Lake is a place only people with connections can reach. It's also what is being said.
Currently, there are GPS and other services, so you can go smoothly by relying on that, but there are no trails, so in the past, it is only accessible to people who can go. . That's what he was told.
If you would like to learn more about the Mount Shasta area from the basics, please refer to past trail introduction articles.
Related articles about Mount Shasta
Heart Lake Hiking Information (from Castle Lake)
- Parking: Castle Lake Rd, Mt Shasta, CA 96067
- Distance: Approximately 3.84km round trip (the trailhead starts on the left side of Castle Lake, and the trailhead starts from the southwest)
- Starting point elevation: Approx. 1658m
- Height difference: Approx. 247m
Note: This is a very popular trail, so choose the thickest trail as much as possible and avoid walking on any other path than the trail. The concern of each individual leads to nature conservation.
Of course you can swim at Castle Lake and Heart Lake. Shasta is known as the city of water, and there are lakes everywhere, but the quality of the water is also exceptional.
This is proof that clean water is constantly circulating, filtered over many years and contains a lot of minerals.
Head to Heart Lake and overlook the beautiful mountains that represent the Shasta area, including Mount Shasta, Black Butte, Mt. Eddy and Mt. McLoughlin.
If you climb the rocky mountains further up from Heart Lake, you'll see another spectacular view. If you have healthy legs, be sure to take care of your feet while visiting (it's important to be careful as there are areas with cliffs).
Although the area is very crowded at some times, many people enjoy quiet time here, and some meditate and sit quietly on the shores of Heart Lake, so it is also important to be careful not to get in the way of those around you.
Bonus: There is a parking space along the road just before the parking lot at Castle Lake (1-2 minutes by car), and the view from there is also a great view. Mount Shasta and Black Butte, also known as Baby Shasta, can be seen on the left.
Notes regarding the spread of COVID-19
As of August 2021, various countries are likely to experience a variety of situations, including entry restrictions due to the strengthening of quarantine systems, restrictions on admission to national parks, and restrictions on travel within the country. These conditions may change without notice, so when traveling, be sure to obtain local information such as embassies and consulates of each country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overseas safety website (infectious disease risk information) and national park websites, and check the information about the transfer location, the countries where you plan to travel, and the area around the destinations you plan to visit before making any effort to plan and take reasonable steps.
Kato Sayaka
Leave your California hiking and travel plans to us. Due to my father's influence, I have always loved outdoor activities, and since I was in Japan, I was captivated by the great nature of America and Canada, and as a result, I arrived at the United States, which I had longed for. We currently run ANAMI TOURS, which offers local optional tours that can be created with customers, including completely private hiking tours with Japanese guides. We will introduce you to some special options that you can find out because you are a local resident. If you are interested, please visit the website below.
