Sacramento
2) Dunsmuir to Castle Crags
| Difficulty | II-III+ |
| Length | 7.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 43 fpm |
| Gauge | Sacramento River at Delta |
| Flow Rate as of 2 days | 561 cfsstale data |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 15, 2023 |
River Description
What other river up this way gives you rearview mirror views of Mama Shasta, fun Class II/III rapids, and clear, beautiful water? This is a gorgeous section of water, and is easy to access.
You can pick your daytrip between here and Delta, or make an overnight out of it, utilizing Sims Flat Campground (you can sneakcamp in the winter when they're closed, FYI) or nearby Castle Crags State Park. Pollard Flat is another take-out further upstream if you want to save yourself some Class I-II paddling. Expect train traffic (and possibly highway traffic, depending on where you camp) though – it can feel remote but technically it's not. Lots of public land on both sides of the river, on and off, though.
Dunsmuir is a cool little river town (not as beloved by some locals, though) and offers some accommodations, food, and other resources – the town of Mt. Shasta is the 'big city' round here a bit further up the highway.
Other resources:
River Features
Dunsmuir City Park Put-in
Put in at the riverside Dunsmuir City Park off Dunsuir Avenue.
Riverside Campground Take-out
Take out on river left at Riverside Campground, a part of Castle Crags State Park. A bridge over the river marks the general area of the take-out. This is perhaps the best public land river access in the area.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportRobin Levick, Ted Couch, Sara Gallagher, and myself made an overnight packraft out of this section down to Pollard Flat. First time for most of us and we all loved it.