The Great Shasta Rail Trail (GSRT), at full build-out, will link the California towns of McCloud and Burney and nearby recreation areas along an 80-mile scenic trail featuring local heritage and culture, close connections to nature, and boosting the economic and social vitality of local communities.
Sections of the GSRT are now open for non-motorized use, including hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing:
Esperanza to Bartle Wye to Hambone is open, 25.809 Miles:
This section can be accessed from McCloud: From downtown McCloud proceed to Highway 89 via Broadway. Turn left from Broadway on Highway 89 South (you will be heading east). Proceed five miles to Esperanza Road. Turn left on Esperanza Road and proceed approximately one mile to the GSRT; it will be on your right. You’ll find some rock barriers at Sheepheaven, which is about 8.786 miles from the Esperanza Road and the Harris Spring Road (Bartle), which is about 12.557 miles from Esperanza Road, but these can be navigated by foot and your bike.
Burney to Lake Britton (“Stand By Me”) Bridge, 9.837 Miles:
The Burney trailhead is located near the intersection of Highway 299 and Black Ranch Road on the town’s east side. Access the trailhead parking lot is off Black Ranch Road, parking is in the large area between the fenced building and the two power poles along Black Ranch Road. Driving your motor vehicle on the trail is prohibited and unsafe because railroad spikes may be hidden just below the cinder surface.
The GSRT will eventually include a central 53-mile trail from Burney Depot to Pilgrim Creek Road, three miles east of McCloud, and two branch trails. One of the branches leads from Bartle to Hambone. The second splits off between Burney and Hwy 89 and heads toward Goose Valley.
Over 50 miles of the trail remain to be opened.
