dive in TO WONDERLAND
McCloud offers the perfect home base for a weekend of outdoor adventure
Mount Shasta, snow-topped even in summer, dominates the Cascade Range views in Siskiyou County. Rivers and forests wind through the rugged, grandly crenelated terrain, and adorable alpine towns are tucked here and there. So when we discover that the local visitors association has dubbed this not merely the Shasta Cascade region, but the Shasta Cascade Wonderland, even we jaded types just nod.
We’re McCloud-bound on this sunny weekend, heading roughly four hours north of the Bay Area to, yes, a wonderland where the call of screens and tablets can be blissfully ignored. Cell service is spotty, for one thing — and the landscape too gorgeous to ignore.
McCloud was once a bustling lumber town and our home base, the McCloud Mercantile Hotel, was built in 1897 as an actual mercantile for the McCloud River Lumber Co. The Mathis family has spent the last two decades lovingly restoring and polishing the place. The Railroad Room, for example, boasts comfy beds, original 19th-century Douglas fir floors, old wooden ski equipment and railroad-style lanterns. And that deep vintage bathtub in the glossy, moss-green bathroom must be heaven after a long day of hiking, swimming, boating and exploring — all of which we intend to do this weekend.
McCloud sits at one end of the Great Shasta Rail Trail, which winds along the red-cinder course that once carried McCloud Railway lumber trains to the town of Burney. Now 40 miles of that trail have been converted for recreational use, wooing hikers, cyclists and equestrians — or cross-country skiers and showshoers, depending on the season.
So you can hit the trails here, or head to McCloud Falls where three cataracts cascade down the river’s length, forming a popular swimming hole at the very bottom. You can hike the 4-mile path that links all the overlooks — or drive to each stage and just stroll to the overlooks — but whatever you do, don’t miss the Lower Falls. Join the picnickers and sunbathers lounging on the massive rocks above. By summer, swimmers will be happily cavorting in the pool below.
Nearby Lake Siskiyou offers plenty of splashy fun, as well. You can rent a patio boat, kayak or stand-up paddleboard to play at this pristine mountain lake 20 minutes from McCloud. The shallow waters near the lake’s sandy beach are filled with giant inflatable slides and toys for young frolickers, and the whole place has that retro summer camp vibe turned up a notch for modern (and more grownup) tastes.
The outdoor Lake Sis Bijou Theater screens “Goonies” and similar familyfriendly fare. The resort pub serves up pizza and brews. And a small general store near the cabins and campgrounds does a brisk business in sunscreen, wine and soft-serve ice cream.
Sunburned and windswept at the end of the day, we head back to McCloud, where the 2-year-old McCloud Meat Market & Tavern occupies what was once the lumber company’s actual meat market. Today, it’s a rustic-chic tavern with great steaks and burgers and an emphasis on local, seasonal, organic produce that plays out from craft cocktails to salads and sides.
And afterward, perhaps a soak in that deep tub.