DAY 3

Morning

BREAKFAST: At the McCloud Hotel.

Just north of Highway 89 on Highway 299, Fall River Mills is headquarters for fishing and hiking in the northern Lassen river valleys. There is golf to be had at the Fall River Valley Golf Course, west of town on Highway 299 (530-336-5555). Open May through October, the Fort Crook Museum, in town (530-336-5110), has exhibits of pioneer history, Indian artifacts, and several historical buildings.

Take Highway 299 west to Highway 5 and south to Red Bluff.

LUNCH: Wild Bill's Rib-Steakhouse and Saloon, 500 Riverside Way near Highway 5, Red Bluff; (530) 529-9453. A casual place with a deck on the river; steaks, pasta, fish, sandwiches, burgers.

Afternoon

Just north of Red Bluff is a lovely spot on the river, Ide Adobe State Park, 3040 Adobe Road (530-527-5927), cool and shady with giant oaks, lawns, picnic tables, and historical displays. You can fish here, but swimming in the fast current is not advisable.
Head south to the Bay Area.

THERE'S MORE

Castle. Crags State Park, 6 miles south of Dunsmuir off 1-5; (530) 235- 2684. A 6,000-foot granite fortress of giant pillars and monster boulders; good trout fishing in several streams; 2 miles of the Sacramento River; swimming, hiking, rock climbing. Get maps at the park office and amble up the sun-dappled Indian Creek Nature Trail, a 1-mile loop. The Vista Point loop is 5 view-filled miles. The Crags Trail to Castle Dome is 5.5 strenuous miles up and into the Castle Crags Wilderness; the Pacific Crest Trail is accessible from here.

Living Memorial Sculpture Garden, between the towns of Mount Shas-ta and McCloud on Highway 97, 0.25 mile north of County Road A12. Vietnam vet and local artist Dennis Smith honors veterans with a dramatic and touching bronze tableau.

McCloud Railway Shasta Sunset Dinner Train; (800) 733-2141; www.mctrain.com. Excellent, elegant dinners in restored vintage dining cars pulled by a 2,000-horsepower locomotive through spectacular scenery below Mount Shasta, Castle Crags, and the Trinity Alps.

Shasta Dam, off Highway 5 just north of Redding, on Shasta Dam Boulevard (a half-hour drive on summer weekdays, longer on weekends); (530) 275-4463.Walk out on the rim of the second-tallest concrete dam in the United States. Take a look at historic photos and watch a short film in the visitors center. The guided tour into the dam involves an elevator ride that kids younger than about age eight may find scary.

Houseboats. With a shoreline of 365 miles, Shasta is very popular for house-boating. Boats range from 15 to 56 feet long and sleep four to twelve people; they're easy to navigate and may include air-conditioning, TV, and washers and dryers. Rentals at twelve houseboat marinas cost $1,000 per week and up.

Bridge Bay Resort, 12 miles north of Redding, Bridge Bay exit off High-way 5, 10300 Bridge Bay Road, Redding 96003; (530) 275-3021) or (800) 752-9669; www.sevencrown.com. Under a big bridge over the lake, a full-service marina with houseboat rentals, cabins, ski boats, patio boats, personal watercraft, and a clean, simple motel with a swimming pool and some kitchens—a great headquarters for plying the lake or trying out a houseboat. The houseboat rental company, Seven Crown Resorts, is one of the largest and oldest of its kind. They have rental operations also at Digger Bay on Shasta, and in the California Delta and other states.

Jones Valley Resort, 22300 Jones Valley Marina Drive, on the Pit River arm of Lake Shasta; (916) 275-7950; www.houseboats.com. Specializes in luxury houseboats with gourmet galleys, fancy entertainment systems, and flying bridges.

Antlers Resort and Marina, P.O. Box 140, Lakehead 96051; (916) 238-2553. Houseboat rentals, cabins, and water-sports equipment.

Golf. Lake Shastina Golf Resort, 5925 Country Club Drive, Weed; (916) 938-3201.

Mount Shasta Resort Golf Course, 1000 Siskiyou Lake Boulevard, Mount Shasta; (530) 926-3052. Eighteen spectacular holes with mountain views.

Railroading. The Blue Goose, P.O. Box 660,Yreka 96097; (916) 842-4146. A circa-1910 train hauling lumber and freight daily between Yreka and
Montague, a 7-mile trip. Climbing on board the steamer at 10:00 A.M., you'll cruise past cattle ranches, sawmills, and lovely landscape. The train may be attacked by "bandits" as it approaches the historic town of Montague. There's an hour or so to picnic on the village green or take a horse-drawn tour; then it's back to Yreka.

Sweetbriar Falls, 8 miles south of Dunsmuir. Take the Sweetbriar exit off Highway 5. Park on the west side of the railroad tracks and walk across the bridge to see feathery falls surrounded by ferns and trees. Photos are best in late morning.

Mossbrae Falls, off Highway 5. Take the Dunsmuir Avenue exit; go to Scarlett Way down the hill and over the river and the railroad tracks. A forty-minute easy walk along the river brings you to magical 70-foot-high falls.

Backpacking. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers exceptional back-packing. The Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed west of Mount Shasta at Parks Creek, South Fork Road, Whalen Road, and at Castle Crags State Park. Trailheads up the east side of Mount Shasta offer challenging hikes. Wilderness permits and maps are available at Mount Shasta Ranger District, 204 West Alma Street, Mount Shasta; (530) 926-3606.

Lassen Volcanic National Park. A half hour east of Redding and Red Bluff, Lasser has three park entrances (main park headquarters at 38050 Highway 36, just east of Mineral; 530-595-4444). On a 35-mile drive over the 8,000-foot summit, you can see snow-covered peaks and crystalline lakes, woodlands, meadows, streams, and the largest "plug dome" volcano in the world. Short walks to hot springs, boiling mudpots, ancient lava flows, and sulfury steam vents; camping, hiking on 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, nonpowered boating, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Near the north entrance, Manzanita Lake is a postcard-perfect, evergreen-surrounded lake with dazzling views of the mountain. Easy 1.5-mile hike around the lake; campsites are pretty and private. Near the southwest park entrance, Bumpass Hell is the most active thermal area.