Take The Mount Shasta Cascade Loop For A 500 Mile Scenic Drive In Northern California

Northern California is home to plenty of wide-open roads where adventure is just a drive away. Today, we’re focusing on a scenic drive that leads to some of the region’s most incredible landmarks, from majestic Mount Shasta to Lava Beds National Monument and so much more. The Mount Shasta-Cascade Loop is a roughly 500-mile drive, which means you’ll want to spend several days completing the loop and taking in all of the sights. What are you waiting for? Let’s go!

For one of the most exciting road adventures in Northern California, look no further than the Mount Shasta-Cascade Loop. Stretching for roughly 500 miles, this road trip is packed with beautiful scenery and natural wonders from start to finish.

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The Mount Shasta-Cascade Loop begins and ends in Redding. Spring, summer, and fall are all excellent times to complete this trip. Since the loop is a long one, it’s ideal for a weekend trip - although you could stretch it to be much longer if you want to add side trips and stops.

LassenNPS/Flickr

You’ll start your journey by departing from Redding on I-5. As you drive north, you’ll be treated to an increasingly majestic view of Mount Shasta. This iconic peak is a highlight of the trip along with other nearby attractions such as Shasta Dam, Lake Shasta Caverns, and Castle Crags State Park.

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In fact, this route can be used to visit many of NorCal’s greatest natural wonders. Black Butte is another fascinating site along I-5. The largest of Mount Shasta’s satellite volcanic peaks, the prominent black dome is an extraordinary sight from the highway.

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The route continues onto US-97, climbing into the Cascade Mountain Range, before turning onto CA-161. From here, the highway runs parallel to the Oregon-California border past destinations like Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Lava Beds National Monument. This corner of California definitely isn’t short on beauty!

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Heading south towards Susanville, this section of the route showcases even more of NorCal’s volcanic landscape. After rejoining CA-89 from CA-36, you’ll pass the incredible Lassen Volcanic National Park, a diverse park that boasts hydrothermal areas, four volcano types, and miles of otherworldly hiking trails.

Yi-Liang (Lucas) Liu/Flickr

After Lassen, the route rejoins CA-44 as it stretches westward back to Redding. There’s definitely a lot to see on this incredible trip, so fill your gas tank, grab your road atlas, and check out this scenic drive for your next NorCal adventure.

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Have you driven the Mount Shasta-Cascade Loop? It’s amazing how many natural wonders this road trip packs in. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!