Black Butte, Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta is inside Shasta – Trinity National Forest and the second highest volcano in the Cascade Range. On the west of Mount Shasta, Mount Eddy dominates the mountain range across the valley. Black Butte Trail is east of Mount Shasta, south of the city of Mount Shasta and the Sacramento River and west of Mount Eddy and the Klamath Mountains.

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You can only imagine the beauty of that trail, which is surrounded by all these magnificent breathtaking spots, making it perfect for backpacking. The trail was originally built in the late 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It provides access to a Forest Service fire lookout, built at the summit and pack animals were used to bring the supplies.

Although the trail is annually maintained, its surface is extremely rocky and steep. Along the trail there are also a few shady points, making the hike pleasant, especially in midsummer. When you pick a camping point, make sure that it has adequate water runoff and use plastic under your tent to stay dry.

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If you go backpacking on early spring, prefer to camp on snow than on fragile damp areas of earth. Try to use an already used camping spot, so you won’t expand camping area. Watch out for bears, they are present in the wilderness, so hang your food away from the camp.

If you want to burn a campfire, do it only in established fire pits. Best season to go backpacking is from early April until late October, depending on weather conditions and snow.