Mt Shasta Ski Area

Mt. Shasta Ski Park is located at the foot of the majestic 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta, 60 miles from the Oregon border. Constructed in 1985, Shasta is a relatively new and modern resort with excellent snowmaking capabilities and extensive night skiing terrain. There are a total of 31 trails spread out over 425 acres of terrain and almost 1,400 feet of vertical.

Terrain

The terrain at Mt. Shasta provides a little something for everyone and especially prides itself on its Ski School which is available daily for alpine, telemark and snowboarding lessons for all ages. Newbies will love Shasta's novice terrain on Marmot Ridge which can be accessed from the Marmot triple chair. Here you will find 6 wide and gently slopes that are tree-lined and well protected. These trails make up about 150 acres of the total terrain and the longest run is about 4,000. Obviously, this makes Shasta a great place to learn but the more advanced skiers and riders might be wondering what's here for them. Well, head over to the Douglas or Coyote triples where almost all the runs are intermediate or advanced. From the top of Coyote, intermediates looking for a bit of a challenge might want to try Eagles Flight to Sticks or Stones while advanced members of the group might want to try the West Face off of the Douglas lift.

Into freestyle? The Revolution and Silvertip terrain parks are both open day and night. The Silvertip park is geared a little bit more towards the developing freestyler but the features aren't excusive to that skill level. Still, if you are looking for the big stuff Revolution will be more your cup of tea. And of course let's not forget the 300 foot Halfpipe.

When the day is done there are a number of places in nearby Mt. Shasta (the city), Dunsmuir, McCloud and Weed for a bite to eat or a place to sleep. There are also some good eats right at the mountain with BC's, Timberline Grill, and the Powderhound Café. For those over 21 there is also Sliders Bar.

Off-slope fun

There is plenty to do in this part of Northern California. For starters Mt. Shasta offers a full service Nordic Center with a number of groomed and backcountry trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There is also dogsled rides and snowmobiling available nearby as well as a couple of good sledding hills. For the truly adventurous there are guided climbs up Mt. Shasta, just make sure you know what you are getting into.