Mount Shasta Wilderness is a 38,200-acre protected area in northern California within Shasta-Trinity National Forest, established by Congress in 1984 to preserve and provide recreation on Mount Shasta and its surrounding slopes. Centered on the massive stratovolcano and nearby Shastina, the wilderness is known for dramatic glacial and volcanic landscapes, including California’s lowest-elevation glacier, extensive lava flows, forests, waterfalls, and hot springs. It preserves both relatively pristine terrain and land recovering from past logging and road building. A major destination for climbing and backcountry travel, it requires permits and experience because summit routes involve serious snow, ice, weather, and rockfall hazards.