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About Shasta County
Shasta County covers a hilly and mountainous area tucked in between the volcanic Cascade Mountains and the Coastal Mountains of northern California. The Cascade Mountains line the county on the east, and the Coastal Mountains are on the west. To the north they converge, and above them rises the 14,162-foot peak of Mt. Shasta, which is visible throughout most of Shasta County. The county was named for Mt. Shasta, and it originally did lie within the boundaries of the county, but due to the creation of new counties, it is now in Siskiyou County. The Trinity Mountains are an extension of the Coastal Range that flank the northwestern edge of the county. The Sacramento River flows out of the mountains to the north, through the center of county, and southward into the Sacramento Valley. The major cities of Redding and Enterprise and Cottonwood lie along the Sacramento River.
Lassen National Volcanic Park lies mostly in Shasta County, in the southeast corner. Lassen Peak drew national attention in 1916 when it surprised everyone with a violent eruption. The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area also mostly lies within the county, in the northwest corner. These three large reservoirs have been designated for recreational use and are administered as one entity. Lake Shasta and the Whiskeytown Reservoir lie within the county.
Shasta County was organized in 1850, as one of the original counties of California. It now covers 9,965 square miles with a population of 163,256 inhabitants. The county seat is at Redding. Interstate 5 traverses the county north to south, roughly following the Sacramento River. California Highway 299 crosses the county east to west, and California Highway 44 connects from Redding to Lassen Park.
Currently Lassen Park is available in the UntraveledRoad virtual tour.