A small but enthusiastic group showed up to hike this little-used trail near Lakehead. We were pleased to have Bob Madison back to hiking with us, now that he is recovering well from back surgery.
Hirz Bay Trail follows the shoreline of the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake, between Hirz Bay Campground and Dekkas Rock Picnic Area a few miles away. While the trail is low in elevation, it gets higher rainfall than Redding, which is evidenced by its lush vegetation. It is an area of primarily mixed conifers with scattered canyon live oak and black oak in the mid-canopy.
The trail dips into several shady, canyon-like drainages covered with ferns. In one drainage, as the trail went down to a creek, the bank was covered with Shasta maidenhair ferns. In another drainage, the creek bed and banks were covered with chain ferns, and Pacific dogwood and big-leaf maple provided shade under towering ponderosa pines. As the trail comes out of each drainage, into scattered and full sun, more shrubs and wildflowers appeared.
Photo taken on April 27, 2025, by Don Burk.
At about a mile from the trailhead at Hirz Bay Campground, the trail is washed out, so we walked back and drove down to the other trailhead, at Dekkas Rock Picnic Area, and walked back on the trail to a limestone outcrop. Here the vegetation changes. We found Oregon oak, canyon delphinium, taw manroot, and Cooper’s lip fern in the rock crevasses.
Photo taken April 27, 2025, by Don Burk.
This is a very nice trail, about 1.5 miles from trailhead to trailhead, on which to see a great diversity of plants. It’s pretty much flat, and you’ll probably have it all to yourself! ~David Ledger
