Chamise Peak

Another easy, familiar loop up Chamise Peak via the Flanagan Trail — same trailhead sign, same gentle grade, same reliable short training climb close to Redding.

Nothing dramatic to report this time, just a solid, pleasant morning out — exactly the kind of low-key repeat hike this one has become.

Back up Chamise Peak again via the Flanagan Trail — one of those short, close-to-Redding hikes that's become a genuine regular rather than a one-off training climb at this point. Passed the same familiar 1.0 mile marker and the little wooden "TO CHAMISE PEAK" sign pointing the way up, exactly like always.

Shasta Lake and Mount Shasta itself were both visible from the upper switchbacks on a clear afternoon — one of the best views for the least amount of effort anywhere around Redding, which is probably exactly why this one keeps earning repeat visits.

Another Friday morning up Chamise Peak via the Flanagan Trail, logging 5.17 miles and 725 feet of gain — right in the usual range for this loop.

A solid 1:33:55 of moving time at an 18:10 pace — a nice hike all around, and still one of the most reliable short training climbs around Redding.

Another Sunday morning up Chamise Peak via the Flanagan Trail, logging 5.06 miles and 719 feet of gain — right in the usual range for this loop.

A slower pace this time at 27:36 per mile, 2:19:33 of moving time — still a solid, reliable training climb regardless of the day-to-day pace swings.

Back up Chamise Peak again a week later, same Flanagan Trail loop, this time logging 5.17 miles and 732 feet of gain — the numbers creeping up slightly each outing.

A quicker pace this time, 18:41 per mile and 1:36:40 of moving time — small week-to-week gains that make this short local summit a genuinely good one to keep coming back to for training.

Another morning hike up Chamise Peak via the Flanagan Trail, tracked in at 5.14 miles round trip with 715 feet of gain — a hair longer than the usual loop, but the same reliable training climb it always is.

1:38 of moving time for a 19:05 average pace, a solid, steady effort on a trail that keeps proving itself as one of the best short, close-to-town options around.

Our regular Sunday hike, this time back up the familiar Flanagan Trail to Chamise Peak — a quick out-and-back before a big breakfast, the kind of morning routine that makes this short local summit worth returning to again and again. Started right at the trailhead kiosk, gear on and ready to go.

Clear early-summer skies made for good visibility the whole way up, the chaparral along the ridge fully green and the usual overlooks delivering their reliable view — Shasta Lake spread out below, Mount Shasta rising snow-capped in the distance beyond it.

Stopped for the customary photos at the overlook before finishing the climb — one together, one solo, same lake-and-mountain backdrop both times. Back down in time for breakfast, then straight to the treadmill afterward to round out the morning's effort.

Back up Chamise Peak via the familiar Flanagan Trail for a late-spring visit, a change of pace from February's long detour up the Upper Sacramento Ditch Trail. The chamise and manzanita along the ridge were fully leafed out and a little shaggy with new growth, the trail's usual oak-and-gray-pine shade holding up well against the warmer afternoon sun.

The overlooks along the way delivered a hazier, softer version of the usual view — Shasta Lake a deep blue below, its arms winding through the hills, with Mount Shasta just visible as a pale shape through the spring haze on the horizon. High, wispy cirrus clouds streaked across an otherwise clear afternoon sky.

Further along, the trail opened up over a bend in the lake where the Sacramento River arm curls between the ridgelines, framed by a lone pine in the foreground — one of the better perspectives on the lake this route offers. A relaxed, warm-weather version of a hike that keeps proving itself reliable no matter the season.

A completely different way up Chamise Peak this time, starting from the Shasta Dam Visitor Center instead of the usual Flanagan Trail — a much longer approach along the Upper Sacramento Ditch Trail from the north side of the ridge, more than double the mileage of the short Flanagan route.

Overcast skies and low clouds hung over the Sacramento River canyon for most of the walk, the river itself curling green and quiet through the hills below. A cloudy, cool day made for good hiking weather on a route with a lot more open ground to cover than the shaded Flanagan approach.

A genuinely different experience of a familiar peak — same summit, same reason for climbing it, but a much longer and quieter way to get there, worth doing at least once for the different perspective on the canyon below.

Another quick trip back up Chamise Peak, a year after the New Year's Day visit and over two years since the first trip up. Clear winter skies this time instead of the flat gray overcast from the previous January, with the oak-lined Flanagan Trail as easy and shaded as ever on the climb up.

The reliable overlook partway up delivered again — Shasta Lake spread out below, its arms curling into the hills, with Mount Shasta standing sharp and snow-capped on the horizon beyond. From the summit, the classic view lined up all three Shastas at once: the dam, the lake, and the mountain itself, all catching clean winter light under a bright blue sky.

Still one of the best short view-hikes in the Redding area — quick, easy, and reliable no matter the season, with this visit's clear skies making for some of the best summit visibility yet.

Started the new year with a quick trip back up Chamise Peak, over a year after the first visit. Same easy climb up the Flanagan Trail through oak and gray pine, but a completely different palette this time around — flat gray winter sky instead of November's gold and orange, with low clouds hanging over the ridgelines in the distance.

The Sacramento River canyon still put on a show from the overlook partway up, the river a deep blue-green snaking through the hills below even under the overcast sky. Further along, a wider view opened up over Shasta Lake itself, its arms disappearing into a bank of fog over the mountains beyond.

A short, easy way to kick off the year of hiking — nothing dramatic about the weather this time, just a quiet, gray New Year's Day walk with a good view at the top of it.

Chamise Peak barely clears 1,600 feet, tucked into the hills above Shasta Lake on the ridge separating Keswick Reservoir from the city of Shasta Lake, but it punches well above its weight for a short local hike. The Flanagan Trail climbs up and over the ridge before cutting off toward the summit, and despite the peak's name, the route spends most of its time under oak, manzanita, and gray pine rather than actual chamise chaparral.

Mid-November had the oaks along the trail turned gold and orange, a nice contrast against the still-green pines and the blue Sacramento River canyon visible through the trees on the way up. It's an easy, well-shaded climb by local standards, gaining just a few hundred feet over a couple of miles before topping out.

The summit is the whole reason to do this hike: a rare 360-degree view that lines up all three Shastas at once — Shasta Dam and the pale ring of drawn-down shoreline around Shasta Lake below, and Mount Shasta itself rising snow-capped on the horizon beyond it. A quiet, quick outing, but one of the best short view-hikes in the Redding area.