Beautiful! The views are unmatched and the 1/4 mile hike makes the view and stay that much more special. Giving this 4 stars because the gate did not have a lock on it and a group of 10+ people rode up on dirt bikes and ATVs in the middle of our stay then left the gate open. Last time we came up in our Honda Fit, but i highly recommend a car with clearance. The Fit made it ok but it was a slow and treacherous drive. We drove up in a subaru this time and had a much smoother drive on the dirt road.

The views were great, Shasta Balley, Trinity Alps, Castle Crags, Mt. Shasta, Lassen, and Shasta Lake. The hike up is steep with loose rock and you're carrying all supplies, including water. For those that do astrophotography, FYI there is light pollution from Redding depending on the angle you're shooting. My pup came and she figured it out and no injuries, but there are holes in the tower grate and her feet slipped thru a few times. If a light sleeper, bring earplugs, the wind is something. Great sunsets, night sky, and sunrise.

The starry skies, gorgeous sunsets and dramatic lake views did not dissappoint. The hike is for real. Poison oak is plentiful in the brush, but trails are clear. The compost toilet had quite a few bugs, meat bees hung out in the morning for about an hour, then moved on. Bring a stick with you to the toilet. While using it, a rattlesnake slithered onto the narrow path and parked himself between us and the lookout. Our options were to challenge the snake or enter the brush (containing poison oak and possibly more snakes?). Fortunately a few well-aimed stones motivated the snake to move on, but I would have rather used a hiking stick than small rocks to get past our foe. My 11 year old and I would do it again, but I'm glad I left my toddler at home.