California corn-lily, Veratrum californicum. Granite Lake and Four Lakes Loop, Trinity Alps © Sarah Jarrett

Field Trips

Whether you walk, hike, drive, or bike, getting out in nature will do wonders for mind, body, and soul.

Guided Field Trips

Shasta Chapter offers field trips to natural areas, mostly within Chapter boundaries, throughout the year.  These can take the form of urban walks, day hikes, overnight camping trips, or driving tours.  Field trip leaders are not necessarily experts in botany, but all are enthusiastic native plant lovers interested in learning about our local natural communities.  Please see our calendar for our next scheduled field trip.

Hike on Your Own

Listed below are select trail systems and natural areas, categorized by general location, that our members have explored on their own since the beginning of the pandemic. For each and every area listed, there is at least one article pertaining to it on our blog page, Get Out!

A few trails and natural areas have plant species lists associated with them.  These lists have been compiled over time by various members.  Most lists are not complete, but would still nicely augment any plant lover’s hiking experience.  Access those plant lists here: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Lists

Be Inspired, but Stay Safe!

Shasta Chapter CNPS encourages everyone to observe proper trail etiquette and proper social distancing while on the trail.  Remember to:

  • Take a friend and/or let someone know your itinerary.
  • Bring adequate food and water.
  • Pack out your trash.
  • Stick to designated trails.
  • Photograph, don’t pick, the wildflowers.
  • Stay updated on CDC and local guidelines.
Pussy-ears, Calochortus tolmiei. South Fork Mountain Lookout Road Hike, March 12, 2022 © Chris Harvey
The Dr. Seuss-like seed heads of western pasqueflower, Anemone occidentalis. South Gate Meadows, July 24, 2021 © Don Burk

Select Trail Systems and Natural Areas

Greater Redding Area/South-Central Shasta County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Battle Creek Wildlife Area
  • Clear Creek Greenway
  • Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve
  • Millville Plains
  • Swasey Recreation Area
  • Westside

North of Redding, Shasta County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Castle Crags State Park
  • Keswick Area
  • McCloud Area
  • Shasta Lake Area

East of Redding, Shasta County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Inwood Road
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park
  • Pacific Crest Trail

West of Redding

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Humboldt County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Trinidad Area

Lassen County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Caribou Wilderness
  • Stephen’s Meadow

Modoc County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Modoc National Forest

Plumas County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Caribou Wilderness
  • Pacific Crest Trail

Siskiyou County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Klamath National Forest
  • McCloud Area
  • Mt. Shasta Area
  • Pacific Crest Trail
  • Russian Wilderness
  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest
  • Trinity Alps Wilderness

Tehama County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Mendocino National Forest
  • Sacramento River Bend Recreation Area
  • Tehama Wildlife Area
  • Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

Trinity County

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Trinity Alps
  • Weaverville
  • Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

Out of State

For the following locations, you can find trail recommendations, photos, hike difficulty, and more on our news blog page, Get Out!

  • Nevada
Much of Trail Gulch Trail has been very nicely maintained. In the steepest section of this trail, rock-work steps have been installed. Trail Gulch Lake, August 1, 2021 © Don Burk
View southeast from Mt. Shasta, September 2020 © José O. Hernández
View of Whiskeytown Lake from Dows Gulch – June 09, 2021 © José O. Hernández
Indian-warriors, Pedicularis densiflora © John Springer