Castle Lake (California)

Castle Lake
Castle Lake with Mount Shasta in background
Location	Trinity Mountains, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California
Coordinates	41°13′39″N 122°23′01″W / 41.22750°N 122.38361°W / 41.22750; -122.38361Coordinates: 41°13′39″N 122°23′01″W / 41.22750°N 122.38361°W / 41.22750; -122.38361
Type	cirque lake
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	47 acres (19 ha)
Max. depth	110 ft (34 m)
Surface elevation	5,440 ft (1,660 m)
Settlements	Mount Shasta
References

Castle Lake is a glacial lake (cirque lake or tarn) located in the Trinity Mountains, in Siskiyou County of northern California. It is west of Mount Shasta City and Mount Shasta peak.

The outlet of the lake drains into Castle Lake Creek, and then into Lake Siskiyou reservoir, part of the headwaters of the Sacramento River. Nearly all of the lake's 47 acres (19 ha) are within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Trails lead from Castle Lake into the adjacent Castle Crags Wilderness area, and on to Castle Crags State Park, including trails to Little Castle Lake and Heart Lake.Fishing, camping, and hiking are also available at or near the lake.

Castle Lake and the surrounding area contain a wide variety of animals and plants including trout, bears, deer, otters, frogs, and osprey. The area is also well-known for early summer displays of flowers, including red Columbine (Aquilegia truncata), fawn lily (Erythronium sp.), and Shasta pentstemon (Pentstemon laetus).

Castle Lake is home as well to the Castle Lake Limnological Research Station affiliated with the University of California at Davis (UC Davis), which uses the site for study and to teach limnology courses (in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Reno).

The lake is usually reached by driving along an approximately 7 mi (11 km) road from Lake Siskiyou. About 3 mi (4.8 km) from the lake, along this road, are Ney Springs and Faery Falls. Ney Springs is the site of the historic Ney Springs Resort, a late 19th-century resort based on the mineral springs there; this resort was one of a number of such popular resorts in Siskiyou County, including Upper Soda Springs, and Shasta Springs. A short hiking trail leads to nearby Faery Falls, where Ney Springs Creek falls nearly 60 ft (18 m) down a granite cliff face, forming a clear pool at the bottom.