Mount Shasta Mine Loop

Abandoned mine shaft on Mount Shasta Mine Loop Trail. The entrance is gated to keep visitors out but allow bats to exit and enter.

Difficulty level

Moderate.
Some short, steep sections.
Trail is heavily eroded in spots.
Mountain biking and horseback riding allowed.
Please put pets on leash.

Length

3.1 mile loop

Elevation

1080 to 1500 feet

Connections

Clear Creek Canal Trail and Prospect Trail

Enter at your own risk

The Carr Fire burned through 98% of the park’s forested lands in the summer of 2018. Be aware of hazards created by the fire, including falling trees and limbs, burned out stump holes, abandoned mine features, and loose rocks. Watch the weather and do not hike if rain is forecast. Rainstorms present the possibility of flash flooding, landslides and debris flows in the fire area. Stay on established roads and trails and report hazards to park dispatch, [phone].

Directions

Starting at the Whiskeytown Visitor Center, drive south on Kennedy Memorial Drive for about a mile to the Kennedy Memorial and Clair A. Hill Whiskeytown Dam. At the dam, the road forks; take the left fork, which is Paige Bar Road. Follow Paige Bar Road for 1.3 miles. On the left-hand side across the street from Peltier Valley Road, there is a large gravel parking area for the Mount Shasta Mine Loop Trail. The trail begins near the vault toilet. Please make sure you've purchased your entrance pass. Lock your vehicle and take valuables with you.

Trail Description and Highlights

The Mount Shasta Mine Loop Trail is a 3.1 mile loop with some short but steep climbs. The trail is popular with mountain bikers and takes you through an abandoned mining area with remnants dating from the early 1900s. Note that there is little shade along this trail due to the Carr Fire.

Hiking in a counter-clockwise direction, the trail takes you behind Whiskeytown Cemetery and past several intersections with Clear Creek Canal Trail. At about 1.5 miles, you arrive at the historic remains of the Mount Shasta Mine, actually a series of mines. An interpretive exhibit notes the main mine shaft enclosed by a metal fence. This vertical shaft went hundreds of feet straight down into the ground. Just down the trail, see if you can identify the cement foundation for the three story stamp mill. The Mount Shasta Mine produced about $178,000 in minerals from quartz ore in the first decade of the 1900s, equivalent to about $2 million today!

After the old mining area, the trail meanders along Orofino Creek, featuring small pools and waterfalls during winter and spring. The trail makes a left turn at the intersection with the Prospect Trail. It leaves the creek and begins to climb steadily uphill with vistas of the surrounding peaks. Eventually, you will end up on a former road; go left on the downhill side. Walk along this road for the remainder of your journey back to the trailhead.

 

Early 1900s scene at Mount Shasta Mine.

Mount Shasta Mine operation during its heyday of the early 1900s.

 

Mount Shasta Mine stamp mill, circa 1900.

Mount Shasta Mine stamp mill in early 1900s. The concrete foundation of this large building can still be seen along the trail. Once miners extracted the quartz ore containing gold from the mine, it was brought to a stamp mill for smashing and processing.