Mount Shasta (Waka-nunee-Tuki-Wuki and Uhataahkoo)
Rising to 14,162 feet with a triangular, snowcapped summit visible from a vast area of Northern California, Mount Shasta plays a central role in the culture and religious traditions of the region’s indigenous peoples. The area’s tribes, including members of the Karuk, Pit River, Shasta, and Wintu, still conduct traditional rituals at sacred places along the slopes and within the forests of this vast volcanic peak—the second tallest in the Cascade Range. According to the Sacred Sites International Foundation, this mountain in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest is part of the creation stories of several tribes, while the Shasta Nation regards it as the birthplace of the Earth.
Because of their cultural significance, areas above the tree line have been designated as the Mount Shasta Cosmological District and, along with the mountain’s Panther Meadows, are considered eligible for inclusion on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.
The public is not invited to the ceremonies that take place at Mount Shasta. But you can explore on an extensive trail network, and there’s a walk-in campground (Mount Shasta’s highest) at Panther Meadows.
