Castle Crags State Park - California
Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known rock formation in Northern California. Elevations range from 2,000 feet (610 m) along the Sacramento River near the base of the crags, to over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) at the summit of the tallest crag. Located just west of Interstate 5, between the towns of Castella and Dunsmuir, Castle Crags is today a popular tourist stop along the highway. The formation and surrounding habitats are protected by Castle Crags State Park, located on both sides of Interstate 5 at them, and by Castle Crags Wilderness Area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
maps Nobles Emigrant Trail - Trail Map Map of the Nobles Emigrant Trail section, part of the California National Historic Trail (NHT), located outside of Susanville, California. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
brochures Castle Crags - Brochure Brochure of Castle Crags State Park (SP) in California. Published by California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Castle Crags - Campground Map Campground Map of Castle Crags State Park (SP) in California. Published by California Department of Parks and Recreation.
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=454
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Crags
Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known rock formation in Northern California. Elevations range from 2,000 feet (610 m) along the Sacramento River near the base of the crags, to over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) at the summit of the tallest crag. Located just west of Interstate 5, between the towns of Castella and Dunsmuir, Castle Crags is today a popular tourist stop along the highway. The formation and surrounding habitats are protected by Castle Crags State Park, located on both sides of Interstate 5 at them, and by Castle Crags Wilderness Area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Castle Crags
State Park
Our Mission
The mission of California State Parks is
to provide for the health, inspiration and
education of the people of California by helping
to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological
diversity, protecting its most valued natural and
cultural resources, and creating opportunities
for high-quality outdoor recreation.
T he lofty spires and
granite dome of Castle Crags
rise to more than 6,500 feet.
The grandeur of the crags
has been revered as
California State Parks supports equal access.
Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who
need assistance should contact the park
at (530) 235-2684. This publication can be
made available in alternate formats. Contact
interp@parks.ca.gov or call (916) 654-2249.
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
For information call: (800) 777-0369
(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.
711, TTY relay service
www.parks.ca.gov
Discover the many states of California.™
Castle Crags State Park
20022 Castle Creek Road
Castella, CA 96017
(530) 235-2684
© 2014 California State Parks
an extraordinary place
for millennia.
M
ajestic Castle Crags have inspired
enduring myths and legends since
prehistoric times. More than 170 million
years old, these granite formations in
the Castle Crags Wilderness border the
northwestern edge of Castle Crags
State Park.
Located at the north end of Sacramento
Valley off Interstate 5, the park has average
high temperatures above 90° in the summer,
dipping to the low 20s in winter.
park history
Native People
The forested area of Castle Crags State Park
was used by several native groups. Ancestral
home to the Okwanuchu Shasta people,
the conspicuous crags were also revered
by the indigenous Californians surrounding
them — including the Wintu, Achumawi and
Modoc people. The Okwanuchu Shasta
believed that spirits took human
forms to live in rocks, cliffs
and mountaintops such
as the crags.
The Okwanuchu Shasta territory covered
about 700 square miles of forested mountains
from the headwaters of the Sacramento River
to the McCloud River and from Mount Shasta
to Pollard Flat. The abundant local riverine
and terrestrial resources ensured their
success as hunters and gatherers.
Plentiful salmon and other fish in what is
now the Sacramento River and its tributaries
could be eaten fresh or dried and stored for
winter months. Harvested nuts from oaks
and pines provided year-round sustenance,
and bulbs, roots, greens, berries and grasses
were gathered seasonally. Strong trading ties
with their neighbors yielded obsidian from
the Achumawi to the east and abalone and
dentalia shells from their western coastal
neighbors, the Karok, Yurok and Hupa.
Beginning in the late 1820s, the territories
and lifeways of all native groups were
changed by the arrival of European
and American explorers and
fur trappers.
A malaria epidemic brought by European fur
trappers wiped out much of the Okwanuchu
Shasta populace by 1833.
With the 1848 gold discoveries at the
Trinity River and Sutter’s Mill, sojourners
from around the world flocked to California,
invading the original homelands and
disturbing the life-sustaining resources of
the native people. This invasion also led to
displacement of indigenous people. More
than two-thirds of the native California Indian
people died as a result of the conquest with
its violence and contagious diseases — among
them, many Okwanuchu Shasta, Wintu and
Modoc people from this area. By the 1920s,
surviving Okwanuchu Shasta were taken to
other areas as slaves or put on reservations.
Some were removed as far north as the
Umatilla Reservation in northeastern Oregon.
Today, the Okwanuchu Shasta and Wintu
descendants work toward restored
federal recognition and preservation
of their customs and culture.
The Battle of Castle Crags
A false rumor of a “Lost Cabin Mine” brought
hordes of gold seekers here in 1853. Poet
Joaquin Miller, who had married a Wintu and
lived among the native people, wrote, “The
gold-diggers had so muddied and soiled
the waters the season before that the annual
run of salmon had failed, the Indians had for
the first time in centuries no stores of dried
salmon, and they were starving to death
by hundreds.”
The miners’ debris choked the waterways —
primary source of sustenance for the
indigenous people. Whites subsequently
attacked hungry Modocs for stealing flour,
triggering the Battle of Castle Crags in
1855. The site, between Castle Lake and
a formation now known as Battle Rock (in
the northwestern crags formation), became
California Historical Landmark No. 116
in 1984. A plaque near the park entrance
commemorates the conflict between Modocs,
Wintu, Okwanuchu Shasta, and white settlers.
Discouraged by the untrue mine rumor,
gold searchers eventually left. Other mineral,
timber and lumber industries moved into this
heavily forested area. During the late 1800s,
Bailey’s Castle Rock Springs Hotel attracted
visitors, and the Castle Rock Springs mineral
water bottling plant op
Castle Crags State Park
20022 Castle Creek Road • Castella, CA 96017 • (530) 235-2684
Named for 6,000-foot, glacier-polished crags, Castle Crags State Park offers swimming and fishing in the Sacramento River, hiking in the
back country, and a view of Mount Shasta. There are 76 developed campsites and six environmental campsites. The park features 28
miles of hiking trails, including a 2.7 mile access trail to Castle Crags Wilderness, part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Pacific
Crest Trail also passes through the park.
OCCUPANCY: Eight people are allowed per
family campsite.
VEHICLE PARKING: Campsites are designed
to accommodate one or two vehicles.
Additional vehicles must be parked near the
ranger station (call for information on the extra
vehicle charge). For parking purposes, trailers
are considered vehicles.
CHECK-OUT TIME is NOON. Please vacate
your site by that time.
PETS must be kept on a leash no longer than
six feet and under your immediate control at
all times. They are not permitted in buildings
or on trails (except the campground trail). Pets
must be confined to a vehicle or tent at night.
FIRES AND FIREWOOD: Please be cautious
when building fires — wildfire danger is
especially high during the summer.
Fires are allowed only in established fire
rings or camp stoves. Do not build ground
fires outside the fire rings or leave campfires
unattended. Do not gather firewood in the
park — the nutrients must be allowed to
recycle back into the ecosystem. You may
purchase firewood at the entrance station.
SPEED LIMIT: The maximum speed limit
is 15 mph. When pedestrians, bicyclists and
children are present, even 15 mph might be
too fast. Use good judgement.
QUIET HOURS are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. To
ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone,
please do not disturb other campers.
NOISE: Radios, voices and other soundproducing devices must not be audible
beyond your immediate campsite, regardless
of the time of day or night. Engine-driven
generators or other devices are not to be
operated between the hours of 8 p.m.
and 10 a.m.
GAMES: Horseshoes and
similar games are not allowed
in the campgrounds.
BEAR WARNING: Bears may come into the
campground at any time of the day or night.
Campers must lock all food in the bear-proof
locker. Do not keep food in your tent or
sleeping area, in exposed ice chests, or on
storage shelves. Place all garbage in
cans immediately — do not
allow it to accumulate.
Improper food
storage could result
in a citation with
a maximum fine
of $1,000 (Section
4323(b) California
Code of Regulations).
Discover the many states of California.TM
CAMPING RESERVATIONS: You may make
camping reservations by calling (800)
444-7275 (TTY 800-274-7275). To make
online reservations, visit our website at
www.parks.ca.gov.
ALTERNATE FORMAT: This publication can
be made available in alternate formats.
Contact interp@parks.ca.gov or call
(916) 654-2249.
Castle Crags State Park
Your Site #__________
LEGEND
Accessible Feature
Gas Station
Vista Point
Upper Loop
Po
Parking
Little Loop
Post Office
24
Ranger Station
23
22
PCT 25
Camp
Restrooms
Showers
Supplies
19 20
Viewpoint
62 61
41 42
39 40
29 30 32 33 34
26 28 31 35 36
64
37
il
Lower Loop
4 3
2
5
Bo
H
17
ra
il
7
8
9 10
F
ad
la
Trailer & R.V.
turnaround
Pedestrian
Underpass
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5
12
11
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Ro
Exit
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5 6
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Entrance
Station
Riv
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No R.V.s or Trailers
beyond this point
13
1
6
15
16
14
63
38
18
b’s a
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(Map not to scale)
27
21
Vista
Picnic Area
No Overnight Parking
at view point
No Parking 8 p.m. - 6 a.m.
50 51 52
48
53
54
47
55
49
45
57
46
56
59
44
60
58
43
int
Locked Gate
India
n
Natur Creek
e Loo
p
il
Tr
a
Campfire Center
rs
ive
ide
Roa
2
7
8
12
10 11
Riverside
Campground
To River
Trail
9
Day-Use
Area
1
d
For emergencies call
9-1-1
To So
da Cr
eek
© 2002 California State Parks (Rev. 2014)