Mount Shasta: Visit California’s Mystical Mountain
The state of California is home to plenty of mystical hotspots that are rumored to be hubs of paranormal activity, but few are as captivating and mysterious as Mount Shasta. Located in the Cascade Range in Sisikyou County, Mount Shasta is a towering stratovolcano which erupts every 600 years. Paranormal enthusiasts claim that the intense energy generated by Mount Shasta has attracted aliens, a hidden colony of spiritually elevated humans known as Lemurians, and even a few roving Sasquatch.
In 1894, writer Frederick Spencer Oliver popularized that notion that survivors from a lost continent known as Lemuria which sank into the Pacific Ocean lived in a network of underground tunnels inside of Mount Shasta. Oliver claimed that a group of wise, spiritually elevated people with psychic powers known as Lemurians lived in a secret city called Telos. To this day, people still make pilgrimages to Mount Shasta in the hope of spotting a tall Lemurian with long flowing hair, wandering the foothills of Mount Shasta in a white robe.
Mount Shasta has often been referred to as “the second Roswell” because there have been countless UFO sightings. Scientists state that the atmospheric conditions at Mount Shasta are conductive to the formation of lenticular clouds which are unusual, circular clouds that resemble flying saucers. UFO enthusiasts claim that the geologic activity and powerful energy emanating from Mount Shasta has attracted visitors from faraway galaxies who are curious about planet Earth.
No trip to the Cascades is complete without a little local lore about Bigfoot. Many Mount Shasta lovers claim that Sasquatch are abundant in the region. Some Bigfoot hunters even claim that they have spotted numerous Sasquatch footprints in the foothills of Mount Shasta. Bigfoot sleuths will happily show you footage of a large creature lumbering through the trees surrounding Mount Shasta.
Even if you’re skeptical about all things paranormal, you can still enjoy the arresting beauty of Mount Shasta. The Panther Meadow Trail is a low impact hike that offers a panoramic view of Mount Shasta’s unique volcanic landscape. Most of the hike features fairly rocky terrain, but a small green meadow serves as the ideal spot to have a picnic and enjoy some fresh mountain air.
The stately beauty and raw power of Mount Shasta has inspired myths about otherworldly activity since the Klamath people first stood in Mount Shasta’s shadow centuries ago. You don’t have to believe in Lemuria to be spellbound by Mount Shasta.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Mount Shasta summit, Siskiyou County, California, USA (summit landmark)
- Coordinates
- 41.4091977, -122.1948645
- Access
- Mount Shasta is public land managed by Shasta-Trinity National Forest, but road access changes by season and conditions. The summit marker is the 14,163-foot summit, not a trailhead or easy-access viewpoint. Check the Forest Service road notices and Mount Shasta Avalanche Center route report before traveling; snow, ice, avalanche, rockfall and altitude hazards require mountaineering training and equipment.
- Admission
- No general entrance fee is listed. A free wilderness permit is required for wilderness entry. The Mount Shasta Avalanche Center lists a $25 three-day Summit Pass for recreation above 10,000 feet ($30 for an annual calendar-year pass); people under 16 are exempt. A human-waste pack-out bag is required for climbing. Confirm current rules and permit availability before departure.
- Time needed
- For Avalanche Gulch, the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center estimates 8–10 hours to ascend and 4–5 hours to descend for a fit climber; it says more people succeed with two days to acclimatize. Route, fitness, weather and conditions change this substantially. This is a serious mountaineering trip, not a casual summit walk.
- Best season
- The Avalanche Center describes May to mid-July as the usual favorable south- and west-side climbing window, depending on snowpack and weather. Its September 21, 2026 report said the main climbing season had ended and upper-mountain precipitation for the rest of 2026 would likely fall as snow. This dated outlook is not a current route forecast; check conditions before any trip.
- Opening hours
- The summit has no published visitor opening hours. Access depends on seasonal Forest Service road and trailhead conditions. The Mt. Shasta Chamber visitor page was updated November 1, 2026 and points to current road-condition sources; check those and the Forest Service before departure.
- Location checked
- 2026-11-02
- Facts checked
- 2026-11-02
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