Clikapudi Trail, December 27, 2020

Although Clikapudi Trail can be spectacular at the height of spring bloom season, it is an enjoyable trek all year round. Well, maybe not in the heat of summer. This ~7.5-mile loop trail is moderately easy with an overall elevation gain of ~750 feet.

While Clikapudi Trail sports three (3!) trailheads, the easiest one to describe is the one at the entrance to Jones Valley Boat Ramp, off of Jones Valley Road.

A good thee quarters of the trail follows the undulating shoreline of the Pit Arm of Shasta Lake. When we took this hike, the lake was very low, exposing snags of trees that were killed when the lake was formed.

At the end of the Clikapudi Arm, the trail turns inland and follows the very pretty little Clikapudi Creek. Meadowy in places, there are no fewer than five sturdy wooden bridges to cross. This area has been heavily used and, if you look for it, you’ll see what was once most definitely an old homestead site.

Climbing out of this little valley, you’ll get some nice views of Shasta Lake before taking the switchbacks down to the road, which has to be crossed to complete the loop.

Since someone forgot to bring the good camera, and the other someone doesn’t bother to keep the batteries in her inferior camera charged, we don’t have too many close-up photos to share. But we didn’t see too much to photograph, anyway. In bloom were a few tarweeds and naked buckwheats; mosses and ferns were looking happy due to the recent rains; and mushrooms were conspicuously missing, perhaps not having received quite enough rainfall to make it worth their while to fruit. Berries and other fruits were abundant.

However, we did run across the web site Northern California Hiking Trails by local hiker extraordinaire and author John Soares, who has done a lovely write-up of this trail: Clikapudi Trail Hiking Adventure at Shasta Lake . John provides lots of details and description, a nice map, and even a little history—definitely take a look before you go! ~Laurie & Don Burk