Sea to Shasta Hiking Trail Profile Sea to Shasta Hiking Trail Profile

North Coast Redwoods just a few miles from the start

Sea to Shasta Thru Hike Basics

• Introduction Post
• northern california
• 32o miles
• 64k gain
• Walk from start to finish
• 0 feet to 14,179 feet
• 7 wild areas
• The tallest trees on Earth
• 3 weeks to complete
• A volcanic peak

Scenery

The Sea to Shasta hike begins with a dip in the Pacific Ocean in Crescent City and then almost immediately traverses a dozen miles of old-growth redwood forests. After entering the Siskiyou Wilderness, you will traverse from west to east through 6 wilderness areas in the Klamath Mountains before crossing I-5 and beginning to climb the foothills of Mount Shasta (the 7th wilderness area) toward the summit. Ridges tend to reach between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. There are numerous alpine mountain lakes, deep stream ravines, distant views and more. The route remains deep in the wilderness most of the trip west of I-5 and generally sees less use as it heads west into the redwoods.

Red Buttes Wilderness

Climate and terrain

This area experiences many wildfires and the trail will pass through many burned areas. There is a road out of Crescent City and into the Siskiyou Wilderness, between the Siskiyou Wilderness and Red Buttes, that leaves Seiad Valley and approaches Mount Shasta for a total of about 60 miles. Summer temperatures can exceed 100, especially at lower elevations away from the coast. Some trails will be overgrown, so navigation in the Siskiyou Wilderness and Red Buttes may be difficult. For that reason, this is not a recommended hike for beginners.

There are also many highlights including mountain lakes, ancient forests, waterfalls, unique geology such as Castle Crags and the Marble Valley area and obviously Mount Shasta. Starting in the old redwoods and then traversing ridges through a beautiful, rugged mountain range on the way to Mount Shasta is a special progression through a unique landscape.

The Klamath Mountains generally don’t experience overnight storms like they do in the Sierra, but you should still come prepared for the full range of mountain weather, from scorching heat to light snow. On the PCT in the Russian Wilderness in 2024, it snowed in August. That being said, you will likely experience more heat than cold.

Boulder Lakes Loop in Trinity Alps is one of many short side quest options

Navigation

The first 121 miles of the Sea to Shasta hike simply use the Bigfoot Trail, which is in Farout, and the PCT Northern California section in FarOut takes you to I-5. You can get a Siskiyou Peaks Wilderness Guide on Amazon for the final section up Mount Shasta. I also did a route on OnX here. Siskiyou Wilderness, Red Buttes, and the road connecting them is the most remote part of the trail. Clear Creek Trail in the Siskiyou Wilderness can be tricky to navigate, as it has sections that have burned a couple of times in the last decade. Red Buttes Wilderness is equally remote and has trail information that may be outdated. Once you reach the PCT at mile 115, navigation becomes easier.

Sky High Valley in the Marble Mountain Wilderness

Highlights

• Northern Redwoods
• Siskiyou Desert
• Red Buttes Wilderness
• Breakfast burrito at Seiad Valley Cafe
• Marble Mountain Desert
• Etna
• Russian desert
• Trinity Alps Wilderness
• Six Rivers National Forest
• castle crags
• Mount Shasta

The Marble Rim is another side quest worth about 1 mile.

Replenishment

• Grayback Highway *No replenishment here, it would be nice to cache it.
  It’s also possible to hitchhike into Cave Junction from here, but I’ll either bury a bear can near the Poker Flat Trailhead or hike to Seiad Valley from the start. If enough people get interested in hiking, magic transfer/resupply on the trail could become an option, but it isn’t yet.
• Seiad Valley -mile 121
  Send a refill to the post office, restock to the general store (I’ve done it), one of the best breakfast burritos on the PCT.
• Etna -mile 174 *11 miles off trail
  If you have no other self-made arrangements to resupply before Dunsmuir, going to Etna will probably appeal to you. It is a city with easy access and excellent trails. If the PCT bubble is in the area, expect lodging to sell out, but there are campsites in the city park and the city is well prepared for hikers.
• Scott Mountain Summit -mile 212 *no resupply here, would be a good cache spot. Camping only with pit toilets. It is possible to hitchhike into Callahan from here (not to be confused with Callahan Lodge on the PCT near Ashland), but traffic is very light and there is only a small shop and a restaurant with limited supplies.
• dunsmuir -mile 271
• McCloud -mile 298

One of the best areas for dark skies on the west coast.

Water

Water sources are generally abundant. You still have to pay attention, especially during summer temperatures that can exceed 100ºC, but with a little planning you shouldn’t need more than a couple of liters at a time. This is an area where cattle graze, so filtering is recommended, keeping in mind that I often don’t filter small streams without signs of cattle around and haven’t had any problems yet.

The rugged beauty of the Klamath Mountains

Get there

If you’re coming from afar, you’ll probably fly into SFO in San Francisco or Oakland International Airport. From there, it’s a 6.5-hour drive that can be turned into your own epic road trip. I have seen flights from either airport to Arcata or Crescent City for a fairly steep additional cost but cannot be undone. You can also get there by bus for about $150, which takes almost 24 hours. Returning to the Bay Area at the end of the trip is easier, since Mount Shasta is close to Interstate 5, which heads south from there.

Mount Shasta will dominate the skyline for most of the hike.

Mount Shasta Summit

Reaching the top of Mount Shasta is no joke and should not be taken lightly. Guide services are available. This post is not intended to advise others on the topic, as the author is not qualified to do so. I would just like to point out that it is a completely different beast, so it is very important to be prepared or hire a guide to do it. You are ready.

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