Shasta-Trinity National Forest

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The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a nationally protected and managed forest in northern California, USA. It is the largest National Forest in California with a diverse landscape ranging from 1,000 to 14,162 feet (4,317 m). The 2,209,832-acre (8,942.87 km²) forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers of which 1,900 miles (3,100 km) are considered prime fishing.

The Shasta National Forest and the Trinity National Forest were consolidated in 1954 and offically became the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The more westerly section of the forest (formerly the Trinity National Forest) is located in the eastern portions of the California Coast Ranges, primarily in Trinity County.The more easterly part of the forest (formerly the Shasta National Forest) section is located between California's Central Valley and the Shasta Valley to the north.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest enthusiast at Hell Gate

The forest works to manage a healthy forest by enhancing wildlife habitat, maintaining clean water, producing timber products and safeguarding communities at risk from wildfires. The forest is pivotal in the economical, tourism and recreational aspects of northern California. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, towering at 14,162 feet (4,317 m).

The "Shasta-T" includes portions of five federally designated Wilderness Areas: Castle Crags, Chanchellulla, Mount Shasta, Trinity Alps and Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel. The main branch of the Trinity River is a designated a National Wild and Scenic River which runs through the forest. A 154-mile (248 km) section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs in an east - west direction across the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Trinity Heritage and the Trinity River National Scenic Byways are two scenic drives in the area.

Shasta Lake is part of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area.

Shasta Lake itself is 365 miles (587 km) of shoreline made-up of many arms and inlets make it a paradise for explorers and boaters alike. The four major arms of the lake, Sacramento, McCloud, Squaw Creek and Pit offer spectacular scenery as well as unusual geologic and historic areas of interest. Lewiston Lake lies just downstream from Trinity Dam and just north of the town of Lewiston and is a constant level lake. It lies within the National Recreation Area.

From a height of 7,309 feet (2,228 m), Little Mt. Hoffman offers a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, Mt. McLoughlin and a variety of other interesting landforms. From the Tulelake Basin in the north to the Fall River valley in the south, the 360 degree view offers a peek at some of northern California's most notable and beautiful scenery. Located east of majestic Mt. Shasta, in the lavaflow area of Medicine Lake Volcano, is the Little Mt. Hoffman fire lookout. Restored to its original character, the lookout is now being offered as an overnight retreat for personal recreation use. Shasta National Forest has a total area of 1,166,155 acres (1,822.12 sq mi, or 4,719.26 km²) and is located in parts of Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, and Modoc counties.

The huge Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers a wide range of recreational activities. Some of these include hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, camping, boating, fishing, sightseeing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Iron Canyon, Lewiston, Lake McCloud, Shasta Lake and Trinity are the large lakes and reservoirs in the area for fishing, boating and camping. There are many alpine lakes in the Trinity Divide area of the Shasta-T, most of which support trout. Some of our smaller mountain streams are too steep to maintain fish life, but where the water is suitable, fine fishing is usually to be found. The Trinity River is very popular for salmon and steelhead angling, as is the Stuart Fork of the Trinity River and such streams as Canyon (closed to fishing below Canyon Creek Falls), Coffee, Grizzly, Rush and Swift Creeks, all of which drain the Trinity Alps Wilderness, are all good trout streams.

In descending order of land area the Shasta-Trinity National Forest lies within portions of Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Modoc and Humboldt counties. ^[1] The forest has consolidated its seven ranger districts into four management units. Its main office is in the city of Redding.