We did an overnight at Heart Lake in California inside of the Castle Crags Wilderness on our way to Lake Tahoe. Short and sweet, this was one of my favorite backpacking trips to date. Keep in mind that this is a popular hiking trail with minimal places to pitch a tent near the small lake at the top. We planned this hike during the week so we could snag a spot with a view of Castle Lake and Mount Shasta.
Where Is Heart Lake?
Just south of the California border from Oregon is Mount Shasta and Castle Crags Wilderness. Castle Lake has been a destination I stop at on my road trips to Lake Tahoe. Arriving at the parking lot itself is stunning. A great place for a day hike and a picnic.
From Portland: 6 hours
Length: 2.4 miles out and back
Elevation: 813 feet
What To Expect
The trail is most likely to be snow free from May-October. Call the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station (530-926-4511) for the most up to date trail report. Since the road to Castle Lake is managed in the winter, you can still access this trail and go snowshoeing. Castle Crags Wilderness is a gorgeous place to visit in any season.
Initially the trail hikes through a beautiful forested area. We hiked in July and saw wildflowers. As you hike you will continue to see views of Castle Lake amongst tall granite rock walls. As it moderatley inclines you will enter the alpine zone quickly, which is a little hard to navigate due to loosing a foot path.
It is imperative to follow cairns and stay on the main trail. It will swing left to go to Heart Lake, and there is a right way onto a flat rock overlooking Castle Lake, called Mike’s Point. This short detour is worth it. As you continue to follow cairns up to Heart Lake, you will hug the East side of the lake. Continue on to get closer all while seeing Mount Shasta in the distance. There are trails that continue on higher to get better views, which we did once wet set up camp.
Backpacking at Heart Lake
It is important to note that there are only a couple established areas to pitch a tent while staying close to the lake. We only encountered one other group of people camping up here, but we saw many other day hikers as we sat by the lake all day.
We skinny dipped and sun bathed most of the day. Benji found a tree to set up the hammock and get some reading in. Surrounding the lake there aren’t many trees, so be prepared to be pretty exposed most of the time. As you walk around the lake edge, it is quite murky and muddy, so prep for that with water shoes. Being the dirtbags we are we jumped in numerous times and enjoyed having the lake to our selves most of the day.
We hiked further up the ridge line to get a better view of Mount Shasta and Castle Lake-this is worth it!
Where To Stay Nearby
If you’re driving far and want to have some time to shower pre-adventure, or just want to visit these destinations during the day, I have two places I recommend staying at.
Loge Camp-located in Mount Shasta is going to be your closest option. A few restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery store is in the area as well.
I rented this cute little wagon through Air BNB that is about 45 minutes from Castle Lake. The Juniper Rose trailer sleeps two. It is made completely out of recycled materials and has views of Mt. Shasta. There is another rental in close vicinity to the trailer. I stayed here for 1 night on my way to Lake Tahoe in April-it was a great place to break up the drive, and super unique! You feel as if you’re teleported back into the past.
I have also stayed at the Redwood Dome Geodesic treehouse inside of Jedediah Smith State Park. It is a unique glamping treehouse stay 3 hours east of Heart Lake, so if your on a road trip this would be a perfect way to do both!
If you have had the chance to visit this area, I would love to hear from you in the comments!
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