The major town and gateway to the Shasta-Cascade region is Redding, located at the north end of the Sacramento Valley. A city of some 80,000, Redding is the transportation hub for the upper reaches of Northern California. With its fast-food joints, gas stations, and cheap motels, it’s mainly useful as a base for exploring the natural wonders nearby. From here, you can turn westward into the wilderness forest of Trinity and the Klamath Mountains, or north and east into the Cascades and Shasta Trinity National Forest.

West of Redding stretch the Trinity Alps, with Thompson Peak rising to more than 9,000 feet. The second-largest wilderness area in the state lies between the Trinity and Salmon rivers and contains more than 55 lakes and streams. Its alpine scenery makes it popular with hikers and backpackers. You can access the Pacific Crest Trail west of Mount Shasta at Parks Creek, South Fork Road, or Whalen Road, and also from Castle Crags State Park. For trail and other information, contact the Weaverville forest service at 530/623-2121.