We like to walk this trail at Lake Shasta each year to see fall colors, and this cloudy, misty Sunday afternoon’s hike did not disappoint. Bigleaf maple, black oak, poison oak, Brewer’s oak, redbud, honeysuckle, and many other species were putting on a vibrant autumn show.
There are two trailheads to Waters Gulch Loop Trail, both accessed from Packer’s Bay Road. We always start at the upper trailhead (one mile down the hill from the intersection of the I-5 ramp and Packer’s Bay Road), which has its own parking area.
The trail starts off following a babbling stream through a vastly diverse and thickly vegetated conifer–oak forest, and slowly descends to the lake. This short section of the trail is worth hiking all on its own. This is where the rare Shasta snow-wreath and Shasta maidenhair fern can be found.
From here, the forest opens up and the trail follows the undulating shoreline of Lake Shasta…
…crossing over several picturesque wooden bridges, and eventually climbing up over a black-oak-wooded saddle to the lower trailhead at Packer’s Bay.
The distance from trailhead to trailhead is about 2.8 miles. Another ~0.75 miles up Packer’s Bay Road to the upper trailhead will complete the “loop,” for a total of 3.5 miles.
In addition, there are two spur trails worth mentioning. One is accessed at the upper trailhead and goes uphill for ~0.4 miles to a vista point. The other intersects with Waters Gulch Loop Trail very close to the lower trailhead. This is called Fish Loop Trail, which will take you to the far end of Packer’s Bay parking lot in about 0.7 miles. Take all three trails for a total distance of just over 5 miles, and a total elevation gain of ~700 feet.
We highly recommend this moderately easy hike, especially on a beautiful fall day. Here are some botanical wonders that we saw on our hike: fall colors, fruits, and even a few flowers. All photos taken by Don Burk. Enjoy! ~Laurie & Don Burk
