Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Shasta-Trinity National Forest
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
Trinity Alps near Granite Lake
Map of the United States
Location	Northern California
Nearest city	Redding, California
Coordinates	40°44′07″N 122°56′31″W
Area	2,209,832 acres (894,287 ha)
Established	1954
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, USA. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The 2.2-million acre (8,942.87 km²) forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, elevation 14,162 feet (4,317 m). The Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers a wide range of recreational activities. Some of these include hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, camping, boating, fishing, sightseeing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

In descending order of land area, the forest is located in parts of Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Modoc and Humboldt counties.

History

In 1905, the first timber sale under the new US Forest Service agency occurred on what was then called the Shasta Reserve. The Shasta National Forest and the Trinity National Forest were consolidated in 1954 and officially became the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The more westerly section of the forest (formerly the Trinity National Forest) is located in the eastern portions of the California Coast Ranges, primarily in Trinity County, but also extending into parts of Tehama, Shasta, and Humboldt counties. It has an area of 1,043,677 acres (422,361 ha). The more easterly part of the forest (formerly the Shasta National Forest) section is located between California's Central Valley and the Shasta Valley to the north. It covers parts of Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, and Modoc counties and has an area of 1,166,155 acres (471,926 ha).

Wilderness areas

The forest includes portions of five federally designated Wilderness Areas: Castle Crags, Chanchellulla, Mount Shasta, Trinity Alps and Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel.

Vegetation

The forest contains 230,000 acres (930 km²) of old growth. The most common old-growth forests include Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Red Fir (Abies magnifica), White Fir (Abies concolor), and Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)

Lakes and rivers

The main branch of the Trinity River is a designated a National Wild and Scenic River which runs through the forest. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest also covers almost 70 percent of the watershed of the South Fork Trinity River, a tributary of the Trinity River.

Shasta Lake is part of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area.

Shasta Lake itself is 365 miles (587 km) of shoreline made-up of many arms and inlets for explorers and boaters alike. The four major arms of the lake are: Sacramento, McCloud, Squaw Creek and Pit and have scenery as well as unusual geologic and historic areas of interest. Lewiston Lake lies just downstream from Trinity Dam and just north of the town of Lewiston and is a constant level lake. It lies within the National Recreation Area. Iron Canyon, Lewiston, Lake McCloud, Shasta Lake and Trinity are the large lakes and reservoirs in the area for fishing, boating and camping. There are many alpine lakes in the Trinity Divide area of the forest, most of which support trout. The Trinity River is very popular for salmon and steelhead angling, as is the Stuart Fork of the Trinity River and such streams as Canyon (closed to fishing below Canyon Creek Falls), Coffee, Grizzly, Rush and Swift Creeks, all of which drain the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Peaks, trails and byways

From a height of 7,309 feet (2,228 m), Little Mt. Hoffman offers a view of Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, Mt. McLoughlin and a variety of other interesting landforms. From the Tulelake Basin in the north to the Fall River valley in the south, the 360 degree view offers a peek at some of northern California's most notable and beautiful scenery. Shasta-Trinity National Forest has over 460 miles of trails including a 154-mile (248 km) section of the Pacific Crest Trail in an east - west direction.

The 500-mile Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is an auto tour of northern California's volcanos and begins at Mount Lassen, then to Mount Shasta and ends at Crater Lake National Park.

Lookouts and cabins

Bailey Cove Campground on the shores of Lake Shasta within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

In the lavaflow area of Medicine Lake Volcano, is the Little Mt. Hoffman fire lookout. Restored to its original character, the lookout is now being offered as an overnight retreat for personal recreation use. There is also Hirz lookout near Lake Shasta and the Post lookout.

The Forest Glen cabin is a historic guard station, the oldest Forest Service building on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It was built in 1916 under the direction of John T. Grey, District Ranger of the Mad River Ranger District on the old Trinity National Forest. It is available for rent all year.

External links

• US Forest Service official website on Shasta-Trinity NF. accessed 11-21-11
• Pictures: Wilderness in the Klamath Mountains