49. Castle Dome

Length:	5.8 miles round trip
Hiking time:	3 hours
High point:	4,700 feet
Total elevation gain:	1,950 feet
Difficulty:	strenuous
Season:	early April through mid-November
Water:	bring your own
Maps:	USGS 7.5' Dunsmuir, USFS Castle Crags Wilderness
Information:	Castle Crags State Park

Castle Crags' steep granite spires entice many an I-5 traveler into the wilderness for a trek. On this hike you'll climb through the forest to Castle Dome, a massive stone bulwark that anchors the crags and allows impressive views, including the brilliant white visage of Mount Shasta.

Leave I-5 at the Castle Crags State Park/Castella exit, 48 miles north of Redding and 6 miles south of Dunsmuir, and follow signs west to the state park's headquarters. Turn right and take the paved main road through the campground for 0.3 mile, following signs for photography and vista point. It's another twisty mile from the campground to the trailhead.

The trail begins on the right, about 150 feet down the road from the parking area. A trail junction awaits after a flat 0.25 mile. Go left and begin a climb under a pine/fir canopy that doesn't end until you reach Castle Dome.

At 0.5 mile you briefly join the Pacific Crest Trail and then take a signed trail to the right. Go right again at another trail fork at 1 mile. Tantalizing glimpses of vertical granite slabs lure you upward and help you forget the vigorous climb. At 2 miles a path heads left 0.2 mile to lush and shady Indian Springs, the hike's only sure source of water. Stay right for the final 0.9 mile. Over the last 0.5 mile, you'll enter the crags proper, an area that's becoming increasingly popular with rock climbers.

Finally, at 2.9 miles, you reach the base of Castle Dome. Head to a chain-link fence at a small saddle on the dome's west side, where you'll have the best view of the broad shoulders and summit of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta, the undisputed mountain king of Northern California. Girard Ridge and other forested mountains stretch eastward; Grey Ridge, Shasta Bally, and Bully Choop lie southward; and the crags dominate the west.

You'll undoubtedly be tempted to climb to the top of Castle Dome. Do so only if you have rock-climbing experience, shoes with good tread, and dry rock. The least dangerous route begins on the dome's south side and then follows a crack around to the east. Be sure of your footing and the route, and remember that it's usually easier to climb up than down.