By Tanner Call
Shasta, California is well known for it’s lake and mountains, but hidden in the cascade area is an absolute gem. Beauty, elegance, and heavenly can all be used to describe Mossbrae Falls.
Mossbrae Falls is approximately two and a half hours north of Chico. The drive may be long, but it’s very pleasant as you pass through miles of beautiful forest and multiple bodies of water on the way. When arriving to Shasta, the detour toward the primary parking place for Mossbrae might make you feel like you’ve ditched civilization and entered a ghost town in the middle of nowhere (because you sort of have). The town near Mossbrae is very quiet, with only a few stores, gas stations, and eateries in sight. There is a Pizzeria I stopped at on the way, and although I wasn’t too impressed, the ice cream parlor near by was plenty satisfying.
After parking your car near an old motel, walk down a slim road that ventures off of the highway and through a small neighborhood of old houses until you approach a bridge. Once you’ve crossed the bridge and gotten to the far side of the river you’ll see some train tracks. By law you must stay on the river side of the tracks, as trains frequently pass by to break the absolute silence the town works hard to maintain.
Walking up the tracks for about 2 miles will get you to a bridge passing over the river. Just for the bridge there is a little hole in the trees where you can walk down to the river, and witness one of the most astonishing sights you’ll ever see. The way the water rolls off of the moss as the sun beams down bringing the brightest of greens out of the falls is mesmerizing. Mossbrae is gorgeous, and in many ways therapeutic. Truly a magnificent wonder.
Take A Hike 