California Road Trips - 2020 - 25

Bunny Flat Trailhead
McCloud
Burney Falls

DISTANCE: 325 MILES * STARTS: SACRAMENTO

Exploring Shasta
Cascade's Wonders

New Clairvaux
Vineyard

Uncover the treasures of this remote, magical region
mighty snow-capped
volcano-14,179 feet
high and 17 miles
wide-reigns over Northern California. The largest stratovolcano
in the Cascade Range, Mount
Shasta's massive cone can be
seen from 150 miles away-and
this trip takes you right to it.
Starting in Sacramento,
venture north on Highway 99
to Yuba City, where the jagged
outline of the Sutter Buttes
marks the smallest mountain
range in the world. Fuel up with
a Cubano and blue-cheese fries
at Justin's Kitchen, then drive
around the Buttes' eroded lava
domes-you can circle the
entire range in an hour. (Or join
a guided hike with Middle Mountain Foundation.)
Ramble north toward Gridley, driving through Gray Lodge
Wildlife Area to see thousands
of snow geese and waterfowl in
fall and winter. From May to July,
walk Lavender Ranch's fragrant
purple flower fields. Keep spinning north to Chico's Sierra
Nevada Brewery, a pioneer in

A

California's craft beer revolution. Tour the sleek, eco-friendly
brew house, then hike or bike
along Big Chico Creek Canyon
in Bidwell Park. Don't leave town
without splurging at Shubert's
Ice Cream & Candy, Chico's
sweet spot for handmade
chocolates and peanut brittle.
Twenty minutes north in
tiny Vina, Trappist-Cistercian
monks welcome guests to New
Clairvaux Vineyard. Sip Syrah
and Tempranillo handcrafted by
monks and supervised by Aimée Sunseri, a fifth-generation
California winemaker.
Two more hours on the road
takes you past Lassen Volcanic
National Park to Old Station.
Explore underground at Subway
Cave, a pitch-black tunnel
formed by a 20,000-year-old
lava flow. Veer north on Highway
89, then pull over at McArthurBurney Falls Memorial State
Park to see 129-foot-high
Burney Falls.
Keep winding north to the
upscale logging town of McCloud, where plush beds await

Subway
Cave

REDDING

Bidwell Park

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Pacific
Ocean

Sutter Buttes

Justin's
Kitchen

SACRAMENTO

WORTH A DETOUR
Marvel-worthy: Explore the outof-this-world volcanic features at
Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Photo opp: Hike to Gray Butte's
summit from Panther Meadows
Campground for great shots of
Mount Shasta.
Hike stop: Explore
jagged peaks and
alpine meadows
along 600 miles of
trails in the Trinity
Alps Wilderness.

AREA OF DETAIL

San
Francisco
Los
San
Angeles
Diego

at the McCloud Mercantile Hotel. In
the morning, ascend to 7,900 feet
on Mount Shasta via the vista-filled
Everitt Memorial Highway from
downtown Mt. Shasta City. Hike
the Horse Camp Trail amid mountain wildflowers or go snowshoeing
at Bunny Flat.

BARTFETT/GETTY IMAGES

Mount Shasta

VISITCALIFORNIA.COM | 25
California Road Trips - 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Road Trips - 2020
