Shasta Inn Nearby

Mt. Shasta is an active stratovolcano located in the southern part of the Cascade Range, in Siskiyou County, California. The mountain rises more than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above the surrounding terrain and is one of the most glaciated mountains in North America. The volcano has many interesting features including a large caldera, several small craters, and a number of glaciers carved on its slopes and summit. The mountain's name comes from Shasta Lake, which lies just to the south of the mountain.

The first recorded ascent of Mt. Shasta was made by John C. Fremont and his nephew Nathaniel Pittman on July 10th, 1852. Fremont was exploring the region in search of a route to the Far West at the time and decided to take a look at this new mountain that had been reported by some of his guides. Pittman didn't make it very far before he became lost and died of thirst on July 13th. Fremont reached the summit on July 17th and named the peak after Mount Shasta in northern California.

Since Fremont's time there have been numerous attempts to climb Mt. Shasta but it has always been challenging due to its high altitude, cold temperatures, and rugged terrain. In 1903 Clarence King made an attempt to climb Mt. Shasta using horses but only made it about half way up before he had to turn back due to frostbite.