This river is pure fun. Nearly continuous whitewater with majestic views of Mount Shasta and Castle Crags in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This excellent spring run has over 30 miles of whitewater and 50 plus rapids, set in beautiful canyons, and hardly any rafting traffic! Only minutes north of Redding, the “Upper Sac” is the handiest whitewater in the northern California mountains.
The river features beautiful side creek waterfalls, abundant bird life and one of the best trout fisheries in California. TWT highly recommends this run for active first timers and Class III-IV veterans. The most popular run is the 14 miles from Sims Flat to Dog Creek near Lake Shasta, which is rafted on the one-day trip. Stay a while and raft an additional nine miles upstream, with the highlight of this trip being the Class 4+ rapid of Mears Creek Falls. Many choose to walk around this rapid and continue the short distance downstream to the camp while the guides maneuver rafts through or around the triple drops. A third day may be spent negotiating the Class 4 rapids of Box Canyon, with a tricky put-in just down from Box Canyon Dam.
The area has a lot to offer. The scenery is stunning and you can’t beat it for fishing, biking and hiking. The quaint historic railroad town of Dunsmuir has the beautiful waterfalls of Hedge Creek and Mossbrae, caves and soda springs. There is boating and caverns at Lake Shasta to the south and of course the majestic 14,162-foot Mount Shasta looms just to the north. Camping is available at the Sims Flat Forest Service campground, at private sites in town, or at the 4,000 acre Castle Crags State Park. This park lies at the base of 6,544-foot granite spires and the Pacific Crest Trail runs through it. Accommodations and restaurants are plentiful in Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta.
Trip Details
Duration
1-3 Days
Location
Upper Sacramento River
Season
April to Mid-June
Trip Type
Paddle
Nearest City
Redding, CA
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
California, United States
Rated Classes
III-IV
Distance Traveled
14-36 Miles
Rates
$114.00 - $394.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
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