Castle Lake Trail to Heart Lake

"Castle Lake is a beautiful alpine lake located in the Mount Shasta Wilderness in California. It's about a 30 minute drive from town. Castle Lake is known for its crystal clear waters, which are a stunning shade of blue-green, and for its picturesque setting, surrounded by forests and towering granite peaks. The lake is a popular destination for hiking, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. It is also rumored to be an underwater ancient Lemurian civilization! Several hiking trails lead to Castle Lake, including the Castle Lake Trail, which is a moderate 2.7-mile hike that offers stunning views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. My recommendation is to follow the trail all the way to Heart Lake, which is exactly that.. a heart shaped lake! You will pass this to your left, and if you keep going, will come to a 360 view point where you can see Mount Shasta, the lake and Butte Mountain. Truly magical! In the summer months, Castle Lake is a popular spot for swimming and sunbathing, with several beaches and picnic areas located around the lake. In the winter months, the area is popular for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing."

"This is one of my favorite hikes in the area. It's unbelievable. The sunrise from Heart Lake might be one of the best sunrises in all of California. It's unbelievable. It's a decently easy hike. The end and beginning have some bigger steps & boulder sections, but it's short only about 5 miles round trip. You can take your time, it's high enough that even on a hot day, it can get you out of the heat a little bit. Heart Lake is always warm. This hike has cell service the whole time, which is great, especially if you're by yourself. I love having cell service in the wilderness, not because I love tech, but because I feel safer. It's great for day hiking or backpacking and is still permit-free. It's also dog-friendly. You can also hang and swim at Castle Lake at the trailhead."