Not to be confused with the city of Mt. Shasta, Shasta was a bustling town that acted as a gateway to surrounding mining towns through the late 1800s. The discovery of gold brought all the craziness of the Gold Rush to this little town, making it an important commercial center for miners passing through. In the late 1880s, a newly constructed railroad bypassed Shasta which in turn sealed its fate as a “ghost town”. The remnants of this town have been turned into a park, so you can walk along the crumbling buildings and imagine what life was like over a century ago.
Just a short drive away from Redding is the incredible Shasta State Historic Park. Located right off the highway, it's a convenient stop when you're passing through. However, you'll spend hours looking at everything there is to see.
The park is comprised of old, crumbling buildings that used to make up the once-thriving town of Shasta. The town was even referred to as the "Queen City" of Northern California's mining districts. Today, the town stands quiet and is a fascinating place to visit when you're in the area.
It seems like a miracle that these buildings are still standing at all. In fact, this has got to be one of California's best preserved ghost towns. Shutters still swing on their iron hinges and some of the buildings have even been restored to their original appearances.
Visitors are welcome to walk through the remains and truly get a feel for what this town used to be. There's even something beautiful about the walking through the silent remnants. The park serves as a sweet reminder to what made California the state it is today.
Strolling through the ghost town is like stepping back into the past. One can only imagine if Shasta would still be thriving today if the railroad hadn't bypassed the community all those years ago.
An authentic 19th century barn stands in the town, along with a reconstruction of a stagecoach. The town isn't that huge, so a visit to the park could definitely be quick. However, you'll probably want to take your time looking over everything.
The County Courthouse is one of the buildings that was restored to its original appearance. Visitors can go in the courthouse and study the fascinating collections of historic mining equipment and other artifacts.
Be sure to stop by the restored General Store which is full of old period items, some of which were even on sale back during the town's heyday. It's truly like visiting a general store from the Wild West.
