About the Area
Lake Shasta offers 365 miles of shoreline with lake access directly across the street from Waterfall Cottage. Whether its paddle boarding/kayaking, boating, fishing, or simply relaxing and exploring the natural beauty of the area, this charming home away from home is your ULTIMATE LAKE SHASTA GET-A-WAY!
FISHING:
Bring your fishing gear! Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in California, ranks #2 on Fishmaster's Top 30 Fishing Lakes in California! Waterfall Cottage is located on the Sacramento River arm of the lake which is renowned for its abundance of bass. (McCloud, Squaw Creek and Pit rivers make up the other three main arms of the lake.) Lake Shasta is home to a variety of fish species, including bass, trout, salmon, catfish, and crappie. Shoreline fishing is available across the street from Waterfall Cottage. For anglers with boats, see the Boating section below.
If you enjoy fly fishing, Waterfall Cottage is your gateway to Northern California's most beautiful rivers and streams. Just a few miles north of our property is the Upper Sacramento River which spans 40 miles north to Lake Siskiyou. With easy river access, this section of the Sacramento River is considered one of the best roadside fisheries in the West. Rainbow trout are the predominate fish in this area. The Fly Shop located in Redding, CA offers professional guide service for the Upper and Lower Sacramento River, along with many other rivers and creeks in the region including the Trinity, McCloud, Klamath, Pit and Fall rivers and Hat Creek. All locations are within 15 min to 1.5 hour distance from Waterfall Cottage.
BOATING & WATER SPORTS:
Stand-up (or sit down) Paddle Boards:
As a Waterfall Cottage guest, you'll have access to 2 inflatable paddle boards/kayaks during your stay. Water access is a short walk across the street. (Note: Lake water level varies throughout the season. Picture below, taken from the front deck, shows the lake at full capacity.)
Boats & Personal Watercraft
For boat & jet ski owners, Sugarloaf Boat Ramp & Marina (managed by Jones Valley/Silverthorn Marina) is next door (2 min drive) and has a marina store, gasoline and transient slips available to rent. (Open May thru September.) Contact https://houseboats.com/shasta-lake-info/boat-slips-storage/ for more information on slip rentals.
Boat & trailer parking is available for our guests at Waterfall Cottage or on our lakefront lot across the street.
If you don't have your own boat, Antlers Marina (4.3 Miles) and Bridge Bay Marina (15.2 Miles) offer ski, patio, and pontoon boat rentals as well as jet skis. A boaters license may be required which is available via an on-line course. Contact marinas for more details.
Guests that don't want the hassle of renting a boat can hire Michelle at Fun Factory Rentals and she'll take up to 14 people out on the lake in her Malibu WakeSetter Powerboat where you can enjoy hours of fishing, tubing, wake boarding, wake surfing, waterskiing or just relaxing. Contact Michelle directly for more details.
SIGHTSEEING:
There’s so much natural beauty in this part of Northern California.
Waterfalls Galore:
We hope our backyard waterfall inspires you to discover more than a dozen of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Northern California. Just 30 minutes north of Lakehead you'll find Root Creek & Burstarse Falls in Castle Crags State Park, known for its dramatic rock formations, and Hedge Creek and Mossbrae Falls in the town of Dunsmuir. You can continue to meander a full day or two visiting McCloud Falls, Burney Falls, Potem Falls and many more!
Little Backbone Creek Natural Waterslide is a special Lake Shasta gem and is accessible only by boat. Located across from Digger Bay, a 20 minute hike will lead you up a canyon to a natural and smooth waterslide that everyone in your party will enjoy.
Fun Tours:
We highly recommend fun tours at Lake Shasta Caverns and Shasta Dam, one of the largest dams in the United States. Bureau of Reclamation offers free tours that take you inside the dam and to the base of the dam. Lake Shasta Caverns offers a 2 hour cavern tour, year round - 7 days/week, as well as an evening dinner cruise around the lake, offered Friday and Saturday evening during the summer months (May thru September). Visit both websites for more details.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park is an impressive museum, forestry & wildlife center, arboretum and botanical garden located on the banks of the Sacramento River in the town of Redding. It sits adjacent to the Sundial Bridge, a 700-foot long, 23-foot wide footbridge designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.
Another great place to explore is the Mount Shasta Siskiyou Museum, located at the Mount Shasta Fish Hatchery in the town of Mount Shasta. The museum is fun for all ages and has exhibits on the history and science related to Mount Shasta and the surrounding areas. The museum is open Thursdays through Monday with free admission. The Mount Shasta Fish Hatchery, the oldest trout hatchery west of the Mississippi, offers self guided tours.
Shasta State Historic Park, located 10 minutes west of Redding on HWY 299, includes exhibits of the historic mining settlement from the Gold Rush era.
OFF ROAD ADVENTURES:
Bring your mountain bikes, OHV's/UTV's/ATV’s and/or motorcycles! There are hundreds of miles of off road exploration in the region. Leave directly from Waterfall Cottage property and you'll be able to take in the incredible 360 degree views from Sugarloaf Lookout, an abandoned Forest Service lookout tower that sits 4000' above Lake Shasta and the town of Lakehead.
Or, trailer over to Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area located next to Shasta Dam, which has over 52,000 acres and 200 miles of roads and trails.
Two and four seater UTV/Polaris-Side by Side rentals are available through Action Sports Rentals in Redding, CA. Contact directly for more details.
HIKING:
Waterfall Cottage is located in the Shasta-Trinity National forest and within a few hours drive to other National Forests (Klamath, Trinity, Lassen and Modoc). There are hundreds of spectacular hiking opportunities in the region.
The closest hiking trail, Sugarloaf Trail, is 4.4 miles south of Waterfall Cottage on Lakeshore Drive. It is 1 of 8 hiking trails around the perimeter of Lake Shasta (see map below).
Castle Crags State Park, with its unique granite formations, offers over 30 miles of hiking trails and is located 30 miles north of Waterfall Cottage off I-5.
Additional hiking trails abound in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, including the world famous The Pacific Crest Trail, which winds its way through the Shasta-Trinity on its route from Mexico to Canada. There are multiple trailheads with day hikes along The Pacific Crest Trail, including the Subway Cave Lava Tubes, where you can explore the inside of an ancient lava tunnel (usually open late April to November, but may close in winter weather conditions).
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is a 45 minute drive southwest of Waterfall Cottage and offers over 50 miles of hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty. Many of these trails surround Wiskeytown Lake, know for its crystal clear water. Unfortunately, this area was significantly affected by the Carr Fire in 2018. Restoration projects are helping to rebuild and reopen the damaged infrastructure.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is an hour east of Redding off HWY 44. There are over 150 miles of hiking trails within the park where you can access hydrothermal areas, volcanic peaks, alpine lakes, and mountain meadows.
Mount Shasta Trail Association provides trail guides to over 20 hiking trails (spanning 125+ miles) in the Mount Shasta region.
GOLFING:
North of Waterfall Cottage you'll find Mount Shasta Resort Golf Course, with 18 holes with scenic views of Mt. Shasta. Course is closed January - March, but may offer walk-on opportunities for die hard golfers. Contact resort for schedule and tee times. McCloud Golf Club (9 hole) and Weed Golf Club (9 holes that plays 18) are relaxed. Generally open early April to the end of October. Public play may continue during winter hours unless grass is frozen or snow is on the ground.
Heading south on I-5, you'll find a number of golf courses in Redding. Gold Hills Golf Club is the only 18 hole course open to the public. Nine hole courses include Grape Ranch, Churn Creek, Allen’s Golf Course and Tucker Oaks
Also in Redding is a family favorite, Aqua Golf Driving Range, a one-of-a-kind experience hitting balls directly into the Sacramento River. Floating targets add even more fun for everyone in your party.
The Links at Rolling Hills Casino and Resort in Corning, CA is an 18 hole course rated as “best casino golf course” by Golf Week Magazine.
WINTER FUN:
Mt. Shasta Ski Park is located high on the flanks of mighty, 14,162’ high, Mt. Shasta and offers skiing, snowboarding and tubing. While not as large as ski resorts in Tahoe, Mt. Shasta Ski Park is a great ski outing for the whole family. With 635 acres of terrain (20% beginner, 45% intermediate, 35% advanced), 2,036 vertical feet, 38 trails, 1 Quad Chair, 3 Triple Chairs, 2 Surface Lifts and two terrain parks (beginner/intermediate and intermediate/advanced). The park offers lessons, rentals, food and beverages. Check out their website to purchase tickets, reserve rentals, book lessons and confirm hours of operation. The ski park is 46 miles north of Waterfall Cottage, off I-5, between the towns of Mt Shasta and McCloud.
Mt. Shasta Nordic offers 14.6 miles of off-grid skate or classic cross country ski trails and 2 miles of snowshoe routes on the slopes of Mt. Shasta. Lessons and skis and snowshoe rentals are available. Mt. Shasta Nordic Center is located one mile below Mt. Shasta Ski Park on Ski Park Highway, just a few miles east of Interstate 5. Season typically runs December to early April.
Snowmobile Rentals through Fun Factory Rentals are available at Deer Mountain Snowmobile Park located in Weed, CA.
Mount Shasta Ice Rink is open 7 days/week from mid November - mid February (weather permitting) and is the only NHL regulation size outdoor rink in California. It is located in Shastice Park in the town of Mt. Shasta (40 miles north of Waterfall Cottage). The rink may be forced to close at any time due to adverse weather conditions. Be sure to check the weather and call the rink at (530) 926-1715 before making the trip.
NEARBY TOWNS:
The town of Lakehead, 2.2 miles away from Waterfall Cottage, offers a few amenities like a neighborhood market and a couple of local restaurants/bars and gas stations. Our co-hosts, Scott & Julie, own and operate Basshole Bar & Grill, swing by for great burgers, cocktails and breakfast on the weekend.
Redding, CA is 25 minutes away and has everything you need related to shopping (Costco, Safeway, Sprouts, Trader-Joe's, Target & much more). There's lots of restaurants, museums, water park, family fun center, golf and more.
The town of Mt. Shasta is 45 minutes north and while not as big as Redding, it’s home to the majestic 14,179’ high Mt. Shasta and the Mt. Shasta Ski Park (open during the winter). The spiritual pull of Mt. Shasta, dating back to the Native Americans in the region, draws visitors from around the world.
The quaint historic railroad town of Dunsmuir is 30 minutes north of Waterfall Cottage off I-5.