The Castle Crags, part of the Klamath Mountain Range that stretches from southwest Oregon to northwest California, were formed by volcanic activity that took place an estimated 200 million years ago. The mostly jagged crags are surrounded by canyons, forested slopes, open meadows and a few alpine lakes and provide scenic views of snow-capped Mount Shasta approximately 15 miles to the north. Standing out among the crags is Castle Dome, a lone round rock that is a favorite spot for experienced rock climbers.
Castle Crags State Park (parks.ca.gov) has an extensive system of trails, including a 7-mile stretch of the 2,650-mile Pacific Coast National Scenic Trail (fs.usda.gov). The park's Crags Trail, 5.5 miles round trip, winds through pine, fir and cedar forests on a gradual 2,200-foot ascension to the base of Castle Dome. Several paths lead off the main trail, including the mile-long Root Creek Trail and a short path to the natural bubbling waters of Indian Springs. A shorter option is the park's 2.2-mile River Trail, which takes you over a footbridge spanning the Sacramento River and leads to several swimming spots.
Castle Crags State Park has several loops with a combined 76 developed campsites for tents, trailers and RVs up to 27 feet in length. The park also has six primitive tent sites. Campground amenities include restroom and shower facilities and a picnic area. Reservations can be made online through Reserve America (reserveamerica.com) or by calling 800-444-7275. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance and can be made up to seven months in advance.
If you wish to head even farther into nature, Castle Crags State Park has a 2.7-mile access trail into Castle Crags Wilderness Area in Shasta-Trinity National Forest (fs.usda.gov), home to numerous backcountry trails and dispersed primitive campsites, including a number of sites near Gumboot Lake. Or, you can make the short drive to the town of Dunsmuir, which has a historic downtown with shops and restaurants and is home to Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens (dunsmuirbotanicalgardens.com), about 6.5 miles north of the state park. The gardens have trails that wind through white dogwoods, Japanese maples, Shasta lilies, azaleas and other native plant and tree species. The gardens lie within Dunsmuir City Park (dunsmuirparks.org), which also provides fishing, swimming and picnic spots along the Upper Sacramento River.
