Medicine Lake
Medicine Lake Highlands (north of McCloud) · near McCloud · Shasta Cascade
Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Best season
- July-early October ONLY (snowbound & road-closed the rest of the year)
What is here
- Wildlife
- Common loons, waterfowl; dark-sky stargazing at night
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- The Caldera Lake
- Water types
- alpine-lake
- Exposure
- moderate
- Sup friendly
- Yes
- Wetsuit
- High-elevation (~6,700 ft) cold water - dress for a cold swim
- Intl tip
- Go in August or September for the warmest water and reliable road access, and bring everything - there's nothing for sale within an hour's drive and no cell service. Snowbound and closed the rest of the year; check road conditions first.
The guide
Medicine Lake is a glass-clear, sandy-bottomed lake sitting inside a volcanic caldera at about 6,700 feet, ringed by lava flows…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Medicine Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.587, -121.607