Name: Upper Goosenest Trail #5701
Rating: 4.5

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Features Views

Family Friendly It's a bit of a drive but the trail is short and easy and the views—particularly of Mt. Shasta—should captivate everyone.

The forest roads leading to the trailhead can be closed (or hard to travel) due to snow between November and May. There are no amenities or potable water at the trailhead.

Need to Know

Coming from the south on I-5, take Exit 747 at Weed and go north on Highway 97 for 19.5 miles to Forest Road (FR) 45N22 on the left. Coming from the north on I-5, take Exit 766 at Grenada and go southeast on Road A12 for 18 miles to Hwy 97. Turn left (north) on Hwy 97 and go 7.3 miles to FR 45N22. This forest road is signed but not on Hwy 97, so it’s easy to miss. It’s after the Vista Point but just before the Grass Lake Guard Station.

Follow FR 45N22 (always the most tracked and most obvious) for 6.5 miles to a junction with FR 45N30 on the left. There’s a small hiker sign at this junction that says “6.5 Miles.” Turn left (north) on FR 45N30 for 2 miles to a cinder pit. Make a hard right at the cinder pit and go another 1.5 miles to an unsigned junction with FR 45N72Y. Turn left (west) on to 45N72Y and go 0.6 miles to the official Goosenest trailhead.

Description

Goosenest (8,280 feet) is an extinct (hopefully) shield volcano with a cinder cone on top, resembling a goose’s nest (actually it looks more like an albatross nest, but those aren’t that common in Northern California). It sits just north of Mount Shasta and affords amazing views of the north side of that peak and a 360-degree view across much of Northern California. The hike to these views is short on a well-graded, well-maintained trail plus an obvious use trail.

From the official trailhead (this can be confusing to reach—see driving directions in "Need to Know"), the main trail climbs for 1.3 miles through several switchbacks and level stretches to the western rim of the summit crater. From here, an obvious use trail (actually an old road) goes along the southern edge of the rim for 0.5 miles to the summit. Views start along the main trail and just get bigger and bigger as you reach the rim and climb toward the summit. Pick a clear day for your hike and you can see for 100 miles!

You can return back along the southern rim or follow a faint, but easy, use trail down the northern rim back to the main trail - allowing you to circle the nest.