Labor Day Camping @ Castle Crags

November 9, 2010 by Jen | 2 Comments

Beautiful Castle Crags Dome, with Mt Shasta off in the distance.

A week before Labor Day, still riding high from my camping-related good spirits from the Grand Canyon, I thought it’d be a great idea to go camping. Unfortunately, so did everyone else in Northern California. All of the campgrounds within a 150 mile radius were taken. Or so I thought…

I entered the wrong town by accident on the ReserveAmerica.com website and came up with Castle Crags State Park. It’s about 180 miles away, but a straight, quick shot up Route 5. Close to scenic Mt. Shasta, it was the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Best of all, it wasn’t overcrowded — the trails were relatively quiet and we even saw some deer!

Entering the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. We hiked some of the Pacific Coast Trail too!

For one of the dinners, we had a very similar couscous meal that I had with SP at the Grand Canyon, except this time we also cooked chicken thighs, a la last year’s Big Sur camping trip. The next night, JY and NK whipped up their camping special: sausages with rice, beans, and corn. Quick, easy, filling, and delicious.

 

It’s a well-known fact that fire-cooked meals always taste better. Especially when lit by headlamps.

Bulleit. Campfire. Happiness.

Marshmallow at the gangplank.

We hiked. We ate. We drank. We watched the stars in a grassy field. It was wonderful. Before we headed back home, we took a detour to McCloud River, home of three waterfalls and courageous chipmunks. Seriously, the chipmunks had no fear! Anyway, the McCloud waterfalls were gorgeous, especially the middle falls. I was tempted to take a dip, except that the water was 50 degrees! Submersion up to my knees was about as brave as I got.

 

Middle Falls, McCloud River. Breathtaking.

Self-timer shot of the whole gang. Mt Shasta in the distance.