Spring Hill Trail - Mount Shasta, CA

Spring Hill is located at the north end of town. The hill is a parasitic volcanic structure of Mount Shasta, like many of the other hills that surround the base of Mount Shasta. The information board at the trailhead describes it as a volcanic cone, but I think its structure looks more like an andesite dome, similar to Haystack on US Highway 97, 12 miles northeast of Weed. The hill is named “Spring Hill” because at its base are the headwaters spring for Big Creek, a major tributary of the Sacramento River; in fact, the City of Mount Shasta promotes the spring as the headwaters of the Sacramento. Most of the hill is owned by the Crystal Geyser Water Company, with the Forest Service owning the northeast corner.


It’s about 1.5 miles one way. The trail mostly utilizes an old Jeep trail, and makes its way up the south and east sides of the dome, switchbacking several times. Benches are placed at several vistas along the trail. One is treated to grand views of Mount Shasta in a number of places along the trail, as well as Black Butte to the north at one point. Once you reach the official end of the trail on the southwest side of the hill, you can see Mount Eddy, Castle Crags, and Lassen Peak. A couple of picnic tables are available at the top. About two thirds of the way up, there is a 0.4 mile Rocky Point Loop Trail, that also affords one an awesome view of Mount Shasta.The official trail does not end at the top. There is a side trail near the top that leads to a capped wellhead - beyond that through the manzanita about 50 feet is a flat, rocky spot that I believe is very near the actual high point - which is inaccessible due to extremely thick manzanita. I therefore counted this peak as bagged.

2019-04-20 mdfabbrini