CASTLE CRAGS STATE PARK 

Ku-ku-pa-rick  (Indian, meaning "Abode-of-the-Devil). Castle Crags is a marvelous formation of solid granite with its spectacular pinnacles, Cathedral Spires, Castle Dome and Battle Rock reaching the height of 2,000 feet TO 6,000 feet. These granite peaks throughout the 1850's were referred to as Castle del Diablo, Spanish for Castle of the Devil.  Indian legend has it that a mountain spirit dwelt here called " Appetune. " who jealously guarded them from the desecration of men.  

Surrounded by primitive back country, winters are cold and wet but the long, warm summers and easy access make the park a popular place to visit throughout the rest of the year. From a scenic overlook within the park, one can see the dramatic skyline features that command this portion of Northern California. Majestic Mt. Shasta towers 14,162 feet dominates the northern view, a presently quiet, though active volcano.  Closer at hand, is the glacier polished Crags for which the park is named. The Crags are made up of granite material that was formed some 170 million years ago far beneath the surface of the earth and later forced slowly upward through a blanket of serpentine.  

Who the original inhabitants were around the crags where is evident on every major stream in the area, which has plentiful signs of early Indian habitation in the form of midden materials, stone tools and other artifacts.   

There is no record of just when the first white man entered the area.  It seems probable that it occurred some time after 1800, perhaps in the early 1820's. These early day visitors were undoubtedly fur trappers looking for beaver pelts. The earli­est known were Peter Skene Ogden (who is credited for naming Mt Shasta), Jedediah Strong Smith and Alexander Roderick McLeod, although probably none of these actually was in the immediate Castle Crags area.

It was not until 1834 before the Sacramento Route was traveled by Michael La Framboise, the most famous of the Canadian trappers on the Pacific Coast. "Michael's Trail," so called, crossed the Klamath River at or near Ogden's Crossing, passed through Shasta Valley in the northeast sec­tion, then southwest to the Sacramento River which he crossed either at Dunsmuir or at Soda Springs, thence south through the Sacramento Canyon to French Camp, which he had established earlier in 1830 near Stockton. From 1830 to 1843 La Framboise, "gayest captain of the California Trail," led brigades of Hudson Bay trappers over the Sacramento trail.

As early as 1836 a Hudson Bay trapper brigade, led by Tom' McKay, came into northern California. It was followed along the coast by Captain Brotchie's schooner, "Broughton," and Michael La Framboise of the British company. The schooner was ordered to stop at the mouth of the Klamath, connect with the trappers and pick up the furs. Gibbs speaks of encountering an old trapper trail leading from Seiad to Scott and Shasta valleys.  

LaFramboise worked for the Hudson's Bay Company and is given credit for establishing the permanent trail down the valley. LaFramboise managed to trap in the area for ten years which is rather remarkable when considering the numbers of hostile Indians who were there. One story which persists concerning LaFramboise's success claims he married a woman from each tribe along his route, thus guaranteeing him safe passage. The soda springs on Soda Creek was one of La Framboise's favorite campsites. 

These trails are all of the greatest importance to northern California because they were the leads of the forerunners of the "California Argo­nauts of '49" (the trappers), unwound as thread from a spool to guide the blindly traveling immigrants later; and to whom we owe the initial develop­ment of Shasta County. 

The Smith Trail was a popular one until Michael's Trail was estab­lished, which being the most direct route to and on beyond the Oregon line, soon became the most traveled route from Oregon to California. 

This trail became popular for the stock drives which became an import­ant incident of early history. After Ewing Young in 1837 came Joel Walker and Gale in 1843 with cattle and sheep when Hasting's men and guide de­serted him.  

In 1841 the Wilkes Overland Expedition consisting of thirty-nine people plus seventy ­six horses and mules traveled through the canyon. One of the embers of the party was a midshipman named Henry Eld. Eld left a journal behind which included detailed information concerning the party and the area through which they traveled. Included with the journal was a sketch map of the LaFramboise trail as given by LaFramboise to Eld. On this map LaFramboise called the Sacramento River the "Destruction River" and refers to Mt Shasta as "Sasty Peak." One of the major campsites identifed on the map is the soda springs on Soda Creek. LaFramboise identified three granite peaks to the west of the campsite (Castle Crags) as the "Needles."

In 1843 a party under the leadership of Lansford W. Hastings camped at the campsite.  The party consisted of men who had begun their trip from th River in Oregon. Eventually the part up at New Helvetia (Sutter's Fort). his stay at the soda springs, Hastings love with the area. He built a log barricade near the soda springs and tried to Mexican government to award him grant which would include the entire upper Sacramento canyon. When Hastings refused to give up his United States citizenship for a Mexican one, his application for a land was denied.  During his stay in the area Hastings operated an inn or trading post which catered to those traveling up and down  the LaFramboise Trail.

Castle Crags State Park

California State Park Commission was established under a six million dollar state park bond act in 1928, M. E. Dittmar, founder of the Searchlight, a Redding newspaper, urged that land around Castle Crags be acquired for a state park.   The Castle Crags Wilderness State Park Association was formed in 1930 for the purpose of promoting the state park, with the following on its board of directors:  Frank B. Van Fossen of Dunsmuir, M. E. Dittmar and Harry W. Glover of Redding, C. H. Beale of Castella, Eugene Shoupe of Dunsmuir and Dr. W. W. Barham and 0. E. Steele of Yreka.

The dream of a state park at Castle Crags was finally realized in 1933 when the state acquired  925  acres from the Redding Savings Bank. This first acquisition included the Castle Rock Hotel, Castle Rock Mineral Springs and the old Castle Rock Ranch property.

In most cases the depression years were hard times, but it was really due to the depression that Castle Crags State park came into being.  It was then that the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federally funded plan to get young people off the streets and give them meaningful jobs, built roads, developed trails, cleared campsites, tore down old buildings, built park residences and public restrooms at the park. Castle Crags State Park presently consists of 4500 acres of land and over 80,000 people visit this popular park each year.

Castle Crags State Park is located just six miles south of Dunsmuir and features soaring spires of ancient granite and about two miles of the quick running upper Sacramento River and lovely Castle Creek. There are 18 miles of improved trails available to hikers and backpackers including several miles of the famous Pacific Crest Trail.

A still different formation can be seen to the southwest where the Grey Rocks form the crest of Flume Creek Ridge. Geologically unlike either the Crags or Mt. Shasta, the Grey Rocks consist of a great weathered slab of metamorphic rock, principally greenstone and slate that has been thrust sideways over and on top of serpentine!

The Flora & Fauna: The trees, shrubs, and flowering plants range from the valley oak of the Upper Sonoran Life Zone to the red fir and Jeffery pine of the Canadian Life Zone. pacific yew, Port Orford and incense cedars, black and valley oaks, sugar and ponderosa pines, Douglas-fir and white fir, Azalea, tiger lily, pitcher plant, and several kinds of ceanothus and manzanita. red fir Jeffrey pine, weeping spruce, western ledum, vine maple and dogwoods. Wildlife include Stellar jays, robins, Brewer's blackbirds, western meadowlarks, common ravens, western bluebirds, red-tailed hawks, Cooper's hawks, and great blue herons. Mammals include the coyote, gray fox, bobcat, black bear, black-tailed deer, raccoon, California ground squirrel, gray squirrel, fisher, and in the higher elevations of the park, the mountain lion.

Camping & Picnicking: there are 64 family campsites, Picnic areas are located across the river from the park's main entrance in cool forest groves. The main attraction is the Sacramento River, which offers good fishing for Rainbow trout in season; there are more than 2 miles of riverside trails and several hundred acres of undeveloped forest to explore. Activities Include: Interpretive Programs, campfire programs held during the summer, fishing, hiking, horses, rock climbing!

Trails - strenuous 2.7 mile hike climbing 2,250 feet in elevation ending at Castle Dome, an excellent spot for a picnic. Root Creek Trail - moderately strenuous mile long trail passes through cool forests ending at Root Creek. Ten Miles of the Pacific Crest Trail run through the park along the base of the Crags, offering gentle walking and spectacular vistas!