Towering over the Sacramento Valley, Mt Shasta is a mythical icon of North America. With its unique structure and soaring heights, it is no wonder Mount Shasta is a mountain of renown.

The roughly 14,000 foot high Mt Shasta, whose peak is visible for 100 miles in every direction, used to be called Mt Sisson until about 1922. One impressive way to approach the mountain if you’re coming to this part of Northern California is to take 5 North going up the Sacramento River Canyon. You catch a glimpse of Mt Shasta here or there through the canyon walls, then you are rewarded with awe-inspiring view of its majestic summit. At this height, it is by far the tallest mountain in the portion of the California Cascade Mountain Range and is second only to. The tallest mountain is in California, and that is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Although a lot of snow does not fall on Mount Shasta, it does at times get covered in snow, and in the warmer months is bare and brown but just as impressive a sight. The mountain is so prominent that even Shasta County is used, further cementing the mountains significance.

Redding has the largest population in Shasta County. This was a nineteenth century mining town in its early days, and then it became a lumber town in the 1900s. This town is important to tourism to Mount Shasta, as it Red Bluff, to the South. Mt Lassen and Mt Shasta is what visitors to the area come to see, and these two towns are major stops along the way. Shasta Lake is not a natural lake but an enormous reservior which is part of the Shasta Dam. It is 10 miles from Redding to the north, Shasta Lake is utilied for recreation, but the result of its damming is that it provides flood control, irrigation and electricity for area communities. Be sure to stop a the town of Mt Shasta, which is where the Sacremento headwaters begin. Burting from the hillside, icy waters flow to become the powerful river. A park spread out over 26 acres contains this important natural attraction. . The mountain looms over the small town of Mt Shasta, which has less than 5,000 residents and is ten miles south of the peak. They make every effort to have events and festivities for visitors to enjoy, and keep them in the area longer. If you’re headed to the Northern California Coast and the scenic northern parts of the Highway 1 drive on your way from Tahoe or coming from the north and the State of Washington, you should take time to visit Mt Shasta. From the interesting New Age groups that revere the power of the mountain to the other great natural landmarks to explore in the area, a visit to Shasta county should be included in every visit to Northern California.