Sisson-Callahan Trail

Sisson-Callahan Trail is a long-distance hiking route in the Mount Shasta / Trinity Divide area that’s mapped here as a single route line through unpaved trail. It’s classified as moderate and rated mountain_hiking (SAC scale), with bike-eligible alignment included in the mapped corridor.

The trail is built around a major up-valley/down-valley pattern along the North Fork of the Sacramento River. Expect the character of an old trail corridor: a mix of maintained trail, meadow travel, and sections that track near the river or cross between drainages as the route works toward its PCT connection.

Route structure is commonly approached in upper-and-lower pieces: a lower segment along the North Fork that reaches Forest Road 41N53, plus an upper segment above that trailhead that climbs through meadows and past junctions toward the Trinity Divide/PCT area. The upper end includes a final steep climb into the PCT zone.

Wayfinding is a real part of the route experience once you’re out of the more obvious meadow edges. Markers and blazes are used along the route, but some meadow areas can be harder to read—GPS/offline mapping is important if you’re not already familiar with the corridor.

Elevation change can be substantial for a “moderate” label: one commonly used accounting for the route’s full hiking payoff is roughly 1,900–4,100 ft gain depending on where you start, with the route able to be hiked either direction. In practice, many parties choose a direction that keeps the day predominantly downhill once they’ve reached the high point.

Use season windows rather than assuming year-round access: access is often targeted from spring into fall (commonly April–November, or April–October depending on the portion and river/snow conditions). Cell service is generally limited or absent near the river corridors, so download maps before you drive out.

The trail has a history as a historic connection across the Mt Shasta region (an old linkage used by earlier travelers and later incorporated as an official National Recreation Trail). Management is handled by the USDA Forest Service, which is the responsible agency for route information and stewardship.

More information: Visitor information, Deadfall Lakes - Sisson-Callahan National Recreation Trail, Sisson-Callahan Trail (In The Eddys)