The short and easily accessible Heart Lake Trail leads to one of the best views of Mount Shasta, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48. We put this detailed trail guide together so you know exactly what to expect as you plan your hike.
The Heart Lake Trail offers a unique, rare combination, especially for northern California. Multiple alpine lakes and outstanding scenery almost the entire route, including one of the best views of Mount Shasta anywhere…all in just over one mile each way.
Anyone familiar with the area, or the rugged Cascades, knows this type of payoff generally comes with a long, grueling hike!
Heart Lake itself is small, but packs a tremendous punch with the surrounding views. Staring up at Mount Shasta, particularly if you catch a perfect mirror-like reflection in the lake, it’s hard to believe this spot is so accessible.
Heart Lake Trail Guide
We’ve included some extra info for planning your Heart Lake hike. Jump to the following sections (or just keep scrolling to see it all!).
- Heart Lake trail stats
- Heart Lake trail map
- Hike overview
- Know before you go
- The route
- Tips for hiking Heart Lake trail
- Where to camp
- What to pack
Heart Lake trail stats
- Location: Castle Crags Wilderness in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, about 10 miles from the town of Mount Shasta
- Distance: 2.3-3 miles out and back (depending on how far you explore beyond Heart Lake itself)
- Elevation gain: 675-850 feet
- Difficulty rating: moderate
- Timing: about 2 hours
- Pets: leashed dogs welcome
- Permits: none required
- View the trail notes
Heart Lake trail map
Heart Lake trail overview
Between the jaw-dropping views of 14,179-foot Mount Shasta, the option to paddle around Castle Lake or jump into Heart Lake, and nearby camping, this is easily one of the best quick adventures in northern California.
The Heart Lake Trail is understandably popular, and the lake itself is tiny, but you come for the once-in-a-lifetime views. Making Heart Lake even more scenic, its far end appears to have an infinity edge, smooth as can be and seeming to drop off into thin air.
While those views are still as epic as ever, if you did the Heart Lake Trail several years ago, the actual hike is a totally different (better!) experience now.
In 2021, the Mount Shasta Trail Association built an official trail between Castle Lake and Heart Lake. Prior to that, this section of the hike ran through private property and was difficult to follow. That property is now part of the Mount Shasta-Trinity National Forest and the trail was re-routed.
Things to know before you go
Before hitting the Heart Lake Trail, there are several things you should know and keep in mind.
Best time of year to hike the Heart Lake trail
The best time to hike to Heart Lake is peak summer through early fall (June-September). Snow covers much of the trail, and the lake itself, for a good chunk of the year outside this timeframe.
The road leading to Castle Lake is plowed year-round, so you can actually snowshoe Heart Lake Trail in the winter and spring. To do this, however, you’ll need to have excellent wayfinding skills since the trail isn’t well-signed in any conditions.
Bonus: because of its small size, Heart Lake typically thaws out and warms up earlier than other lakes in the area, so it’s perfect for a summer swim.
How long does it take to hike the Heart Lake trail?
Factor in anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours to complete the Heart Lake trail, depending on how much time you spend soaking up the views.
Individual hiking pace directly impacts your exact time, but you can expect the hike up to take 30-45 minutes, and the hike down to take a bit less time.
How difficult is the Heart Lake trail?
The hike to Heart Lake is solidly moderate—not an ideal beginner hike, but not terribly difficult, either. If you’ve had even minimal hiking experience, you’ll be just fine on this trail.
You do gain elevation almost the entire way from Castle Lake to Heart Lake, totalling more than 600 feet in just over a mile. There are also some rocky, exposed sections. However, the 2021 trail improvements added switchbacks, making the elevation gain more manageable.
Overall, the trail is mostly straightforward. Consider bringing trekking poles to give yourself some added stability (and give your knees a bit of a break!).
The route
We broke down the route for hiking the Heart Lake trail into parts to give you an idea of what to expect on the route.
As a quick reminder, Mount Shasta Trail Association rebuilt the trail in 2021. If you previously hiked Heart Lake Trail, the route is a bit different (and much easier to follow!) now.
Castle Lake Trail
The Heart Lake Trail follows Castle Lake Trail for the first 0.6 miles. Starting from the kiosk in the parking lot, walk east along the shore and almost immediately cross a creek. Just after the creek, the trail climbs slightly uphill as it winds through the forest.
As you work your way up, enjoy peek-a-boo views of Castle Lake through the trees, down below to your right. The trees also thin out as you climb, and the trail becomes noticeably more rocky.
You’ll also notice both new and old sections of trail, with the decommissioned sections physically blocked off.
At 0.7 miles in, you’ll reach an open, rocky viewpoint where the trail almost seems to dead-end. To continue to Heart Lake, stay to the right. There are a few trails here, so it can be a bit confusing if you aren’t paying close attention (i.e.; distracted by the views of Castle Lake!).
Heart Lake Trail
Once you leave the viewpoint, you’ll pass through an open grassy area. This section of the mountain is completely blanketed with wildflowers in the summer months.
At an obvious fork in the trail at about 0.9 miles, go right. Left takes you to Little Castle Lake. It’s nothing like Heart Lake’s scenery, but it’s pretty and worthwhile if you want a longer hike or more seclusion.
Continue to climb until you reach the top of the high ridge. You can see Heart Lake from this saddle (look for the tiny peninsula that gives the lake its name!), and the trail makes a slight descent to the lakeshore just after it comes into view.
Once at the lake, walk around to get different viewpoints of Mount Shasta and Castle Lake, below. The official Heart Lake trail leads to one of the best overlooks of the mountain and both lakes, but there are several other great ones, too, so definitely explore.
Summiting Castle Lake ‘Peak’
If you want even more incredible views, and a bit more of a challenge, you can climb up to the prominent rocky cliff directly above Castle Lake.
To find the faint trail, cross Heart Lake’s small outlet. A short walk away, somewhere between 0.1-0.2 miles, you’ll pass a small pond. From here, the trail climbs a few hundred yards to the ridgeline. It’s fairly flat, but also rocky and completely exposed, so be extremely careful.
The view from the top is spectacular, looking down at Heart Lake with Mount Shasta towering nearby and the rocky spires of Castle Crags.
When you’re ready to head down, simply pick the trail back up. This point is 1.5 miles from the Castle Lake trailhead, and about 0.3 miles above Heart Lake.
Tips for hiking Heart Lake trail
- The trail isn’t very well-signed in places. Download the route ahead of time on AllTrails or your preferred app with GPS.
- Be extra mindful of the decommissioned trail. Take care not to walk on the old trail, where vegetation is slowly recovering (AllTrails may take you on part of that route, especially if you get turned around, so keep a close eye!).
- Heart Lake is often very windy. Bring light layers to throw on while you’re enjoying the lake.
- Consider wearing (or bringing) water shoes. The shore around Heart Lake is marshy, and its bottom is silt and mud, so water shoes or waterproof hiking shoes are best.
- There’s a pit toilet at the trailhead. That’s the only option along the Heart Lake Trail, so be sure to use the facilities before you head out.
- Castle Lake is awesome for paddling. Bring your own SUP or kayak and stop before or after hiking to Heart Lake.
- Practice Leave No Trace. This should always go without saying, but this particular hike warrants an extra reminder. Heart Lake is rather small, so it doesn’t take much to feel ‘crowded’ and, therefore, trashed. Pack out all your trash, including human waste.
Where to camp nearby
Camping is scarce in the immediate area surrounding Heart Lake, mostly because it’s so small and the terrain is quite steep and rocky.
If you scramble around the lake, you’ll find a handful (3-5) of tiny, rustic campsites—just big enough for a two-person tent. Since Heart Lake is now in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, these are free dispersed sites with EPIC views that don’t require any permits.
Luckily, there are some other great options just a bit further from Heart Lake. Castle Lake Campground is the closest, about half a mile from Castle Lake, but it has just six first-come, first-served sites. As you might imagine, they’re quite competitive, especially in the summer.
If Castle Lake Campground is full, look for a gravel forest road about one mile past it (further away from Castle Lake). You can find great dispersed campsites here, as the road is within the national forest.
What to pack for hiking Heart Lake trail
- Navigation: we recommend using Alltrails+ to download the offline trail map
- Get your first week of using Alltrails+ for FREE when you sign up using our link!
- Hiking daypack
- Water bottles and/or bladder for your Camelbak
- Sun protection: sunscreen, hat, sun glasses
- Bug repellant
- Headlamp
- Camera/tripod (this one’s our favorite for hiking)
- Hiking layers (here is a great resource if you’re wondering what to wear hiking)
- Comfortable hiking boots or shoes
- Hiking poles (optional)
- Plenty of snacks: check out our favorite hiking snacks here!
Be sure to download our FREE hiking packing list before your next trip and never leave another essential behind again!
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We want to hear from you!
Have you ever hiked the Heart Lake trail in Northern California? What was your experience like? Do you have more questions about the Heart Lake hike? Comment below and let us know!