McCloud
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McCloud

McCloud

Historic lumber town below Mount Shasta, near forest trails and the three-tiered McCloud Falls.

McCloud is a small historic lumber mill town at the base of Mount Shasta in northern California. It has reinvented itself as a quiet getaway with bed-and-breakfast inns and a handful of shops, set against the spectacular backdrop of the 4,300-metre volcano.

The McCloud River, running through forested canyon land south of town, has three waterfalls accessible from a single trail — Lower, Middle, and Upper McCloud Falls. The hike is one of the best short walks in the Shasta region. In winter, the nearby Mount Shasta Ski Park offers downhill and cross-country skiing.

Downtown is anchored by the McCloud Mercantile, a restored 1897 company-store building, and the old depot of the McCloud Railway, which still occasionally runs a heritage dinner train. East of town, half-hidden along the river, sits the Hearst family's secretive Bavarian retreat at Wyntoon.

Guide

Getting There

McCloud is about 60 miles north of Redding on Highway 89, and 60 miles south of the Oregon border. From San Francisco, the drive takes roughly three and a half hours via Interstate 5.

Guide

Things to Do

The headline sight is the McCloud River Falls trail, a gentle hike along the river passing three distinct waterfalls. Lower Falls is a popular swimming hole in summer; Middle Falls is the photogenic showpiece. Beyond that, McCloud is a base for exploring Mount Shasta, the old logging town itself, and the broader Cascade-Siskiyou backcountry.

Contact the McCloud Ranger Station on the main street for trail conditions and maps, especially in shoulder seasons when snow can linger.

Guide

When to Go

Summer is the obvious season: warm dry days in the seventies and eighties, cool nights, the McCloud River trails fully open, and the lower falls swimmable. July and August are the peak. May and June are quieter and the wildflowers are out, but the upper sections of the falls trail can still hold snow.

Winter draws a different crowd to the Mount Shasta Ski Park just up the road. December through March is the season, with reliable snow on the upper slopes. Spring and autumn are the in-between months — fine weather, very few visitors, and the falls trail at its most peaceful. Storms in late autumn can dump enormous amounts of snow on the higher passes; check road conditions before driving.