The Ultimate Guide to Mt Shasta in the Summer

I’ve been meaning to write this post for years. The Shasta region is one of my favorite places in the whole world. It’s a remarkable spot. It’s easy to lose yourself within and it’s also a great place to explore, especially if you’re a solo female traveler in the US. So, here’s The Ultimate Guide to Mt Shasta in the Summer, as told by me. 😊

A lot of people think Shasta County is only popular in the Fall and Winter months. Since the famous Mt. Shasta is known for skiing, snowboarding, etc, it’s understandable. However, to those local to the PNW/west coast, we’re partial to it all year round.

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The Ultimate Guide to Mt Shasta in the Summer

The Shasta region is built for summertime fun. It’s a beautiful area with loads of wildlife, nature, bike paths, camping, water sports, and outdoor activities. It’s also a great road trip stop to refuel.

Here are 8 reasons to convince you to visit Shasta in the summertime.

Lake Siskiyou

This is one of my all-time favorite lakes in the US. Granted, I haven’t been to all of them but this one has a special place in my heart. I love watching the sun go down behind this lake and how friendly everyone is that passes you by.

It’s a beautiful, picturesque body of water that I could spend every summer looking at. It’s also the perfect family-friendly vacation spot. I saw tons of families there because they have a great bike path and it’s a great spot for little ones to learn to swim with floaties.

Exploring

Downtown Shasta is adorably quaint with the most beautiful and picturesque mountain behind it that you’ll think it’s fake. The main area has a small town touristy vibe to it.

In all honestly, I didn’t explore the downtown area much. I promise you though, it’s a darling little ski town with a great art gallery and tons of crystal healing shops.

If you’re looking for places to eat, I recommend:

Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hiking

If you love any of these summer activities, Shasta is for you. It has it all. There are a couple of fantastic campsites around Lake Siskiyou, as well as cabins for those of you not interested in “roughin’ it”. The Lake also provides great fishing with multiple trails around it. One for walkers and the other for bikers. There are multiple golf courses around the town for those looking to take it easy or practice a few rounds.

If you’re looking for hikes, I recommend these:

Heart Lake Trail From Castle Lake (another great lake, btw)
Lake Siskiyou Loop Trail (great for beginners bc it’s fairly flat)
Gateway Trail and Tunnel Trail Loop (don’t be surprised if you see horses, mountain bikers & trail runners on this one)

Soft Serve Ice Cream at the General Store

This is a bit of a hidden/secret gem. There’s a general store on the other side of Lake Siskiyou that serves soft-serve ice cream and it’s so good after a full day in the sun on your paddleboard. You won’t regret grabbing a cone.

Watersports

Speaking of paddleboards, every paddle sport imaginable is allowed on the lake. Here’s a quick guide to what isn’t allowed. I brought my inflatable paddleboard and I was out there for hours.

This is a really kid-friendly area. The majority of groups had 1-2 children and they were all so quick to become friends. Many families connected over small children and it was really wonderful to watch that happen.

Castle Lake

This lake seems to be very popular amongst locals. There’s a great hiking trail that I mentioned above. This area doesn’t have the best parking but it does help limit the number of people on a given day. I think it would be chaotic otherwise. Absolutely gorgeous though and a hidden gem that’s completely surrounded by mountains.

Mount Shasta Views

I’ll never get tired of seeing that mountain. It’s everywhere you look and the main character of the town. It’s stunning and it makes me so happy.

Inexpensive

If you play your cards right, Mount Shasta can be incredibly inexpensive in the summertime. As a solo traveler, I stayed in a neighboring town and I regret not bringing my camping gear to stay at the resort. I would have felt safe and tried to make friends with neighboring campers.

I was also able to keep costs down by bringing my own water sports, packing my lunches (after stopping off at the Barryvale Grocery store), and opting for inexpensive outdoor activities. Hiking is a free perk, my friends.

If you can’t tell, I 10 out of 10 recommend Lake Siskiyou. So many memories can be made there. Even if you’re all on your own.

Have you been to Mt Shasta in the summer? Is there anything else you would add to the list?

Happy trails, dolls.