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Elsa Rupp Nature Trail
This small trail in Mt. Shasta City is a popular destination for joggers, dog walkers, and local folks seeking a quick stroll in the woods. The parking lot and trail entry are off Old Stage Road just 1/4 mile north of the main Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery entrance. Take the central Mt. Shasta exit off the Interstate 5 freeway, and turn east (away from town) toward the Fish hatchery and Sisson Museum. Instead of crossing Old Stage Road into the hatchery parking lot, turn right (north) and watch for the Rupp Trail parking area on your right.
The nature trail winds through the forested wetlands of Mt. Shasta's Strawberry Valley. Wooden bridges lead you over Wagon Creek, the crystal clear waters that bubble from the Headwaters spring at Mt. Shasta City Park. The walk can take as long as an hour, strolling among pines, horsetail ferns and blackberrys. Glimpses of magnigicant Mount Shasta appear through the trees. It's hard to remember that the bustle of Interstate 5, and the civilized amenities of Mt. Shasta City, are a mere stone's throw away.
Just down the road, the Mount Shasta Fish Hatchery is the oldest operating hatchery in the West. Large open ponds hold Rainbow and Brown trout raised to stock mountain streams, rivers and lakes for fishing. View spawning on selected Tuesdays during fall and winter months. Feeding the fish, with handfulls of trout feed available from old "gumball" machines at the hatchery, is the number one favorite activity for small kids visiting the Mt. Shasta area (and for youngsters who live here as well).
Sisson Museum is adjacent to the fish hatchery and lets you step back in time to the adventures of the colorful past of the Strawberry Valley. Sisson Museum, staffed by volunteers and funded by donations, is located on the Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery grounds. Public restrooms, drinking fountain, picnic tables. Gift store. Free Admission. Open daily 10am-5pm May through September; noon-4pm during winter months. Closed January and February for exhibit changes.
This month's hike and photos by Nici Smith.
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