Castle crags

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Overview

Name:	Castle Crags
Height:	1,981m (6,500 ft)
Latitude/Longitude:	41° 6' 38" N, 122° 12' 12" W 41.1107, -122.2034 (WGS84)
Political Location:	United States : California : Siskiyou
Topo Map:	USGS Castle Crags
First Ascent:	?

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Description

The Castle Crags Wilderness was established in 1984 with the passage of the California Wilderness Act. This 10,500 acre addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System contains towering spires, steep-sided canyons, and a few alpine lakes. Most of the area is covered by high brushfields and rocky outcrops with a few wet meadows in the creek headwaters. Mixed conifer forests can be found on the north, east and west facing slopes.

Hiking in the Crags

There are 27.8 miles of developed and maintained trails within the Castle Crags Wilderness, accessed by 9 designated trailheads. The Castle Dome Trail, Indian Springs Trail, Root Creek Trail, and Bob's Hat Trail are reached via the Castle Crags State Park. The Little Castle Lake/Mt. Bradley Trails are accessed from Castle Lake. The Gray Rock Trail is reached by an unmaintained natural surface road that branches from the South Fork (of the Sacramento River) Road.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) runs for 19 miles through the wilderness, giving many scenic views of the Crags. The PCT can be accessed from the Soapstone Trail and the Gumboot Saddle Trailhead, both of which are reached from the South Fork Road. The PCT is also accessible via Dog Trail (off of Whalen Road), from the Soda Creek exit of Interstate 5, and through the Castle Crags State Park.

There is no trail through the spires of the Crags. Although the rock formations look tempting to rock climbers and other recreationists, safety factors would limit this activity to only a few areas. Most of the Crags formation exhibits a geologic process called exfoliation - the peeling off and crumbling of the ancient granite rock, leaving unstable surfaces.

A wilderness permit is required for entry into the Castle Crags Wilderness. These free permits may be obtained from the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station or Castle Crags State Park.