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If you’ve ever roadtripped between Sacramento, California, and Portland, Oregon, you know it’s a long drive\u00a0\u2014\u00a0579 miles to be exact \u2014 with a lot of 18-wheelers and\u00a0mountain passes. While not quite as scenic as the California coast’s immaculate Highway 1<\/a>, this stretch of I-5 passes right by\u00a0the Cascade\u2013Siskiyou National Monument, the meeting point of three imposing mountain ranges: the\u00a0Siskiyou, the Cascade, and the Klamath.\u00a0<\/p>\n The approximately 114,000-acre monument occupies a jigsaw-shaped chunk of land, lying adjacent to\u00a0the\u00a0Soda Mountain Wilderness Area. Straddling\u00a0California and Oregon, the monument is about 17 miles outside Ashland, Oregon’s “Broadway of the West Coast.”<\/a> It\u00a0exists, in part, to protect the region’s biological diversity, which includes\u00a0700 plant species<\/a>\u00a0in pine forests, high-altitude meadows, and oak groves. “Really pay attention when you come to the edge of a forest and a meadow opens up before you,” shared Shannon Browne, formerly of\u00a0Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument,\u00a0with Willow Witt Ranch<\/a>.\u00a0“In Cascade-Siskiyou, you’re often leaving one ecosystem and entering another.”<\/p>\n Discover the mountainous landscape on hikes ranging from short jaunts around Little Hyatt Lake to multi-day backpacking expeditions along the\u00a040 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.\u00a0Despite its beauty and wealth of activities, ranging from cross-country skiing and snowmobiling\u00a0to\u00a0the famed rock climbing at Pilot Rock, the\u00a0Cascade\u2013Siskiyou National Monument is often overlooked. The monument lies about 300 miles from both\u00a0Sacramento\u00a0and\u00a0Portland, making it an ideal midway point for an overnight stay at Hyatt Lake Campground.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Camp at Cascade\u2013Siskiyou National Monument<\/p>\n
4kodiak\/Getty Images<\/p>\n As a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property, dispersed camping is permitted in non-designated spaces\u00a0and at one of Hyatt Lake Campground’s 70 campsites. Spread out along the shores of Hyatt Lake, the campground is the only developed option in the preserve and features\u00a0flush toilets, showers with hot water, and a dock for fishing. It’s hard to find more scenic views in the park with less effort. From your tent, enjoy Mt. McLoughlin’s hulking form reflected across the lake’s smooth surface, made all the more serene by the “no wake” policy. This means crafts aren’t allowed to exceed 10 mph.<\/p>\n There are three camping loops (A, B, and C) inside the recreation area, plus an equestrian campground and Wildcat Campground. Featuring only 12 sites (all lakefront), Wildcat offers basic facilities, including vault toilets and a place to launch a boat. It’s the ideal spot for anglers seeking smallmouth bass and trout or campers who don’t mind trading a little comfort for utter peace. The campgrounds close during the snowy winter months, and you must reserve through recreation.gov<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n One thing to note: The campsites are packed rather closely together, and there’s not a lot of privacy. In addition, the campsites don’t come with water, electricity, or sewer hookups, but there’s a dump station.\u00a0Before heading out, check the water levels in Jackson County<\/a>. During long dry spells, the water levels go down, and the formerly lakefront campsites require a walk over crusty silt to reach the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Mountain views on the Cascade\u2013Siskiyou’s byways and trails<\/p>\n
Ahturner\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The\u00a0Cascade\u2013Siskiyou National Monument offers several hikes under 3 miles round-trip near Green Springs, a particularly verdant section of the monument named for hundreds of springs that keep the grassy meadows\u00a0extra lush. The Hobart Bluff Trail\u00a0is a great, albeit difficult in parts, way to enjoy the mountains. It requires a serious climb towards the end, but, from the bluff, you can see Mt. Shasta, Mt. Ashland, and Mt. McLoughlin, with expanses of pines in the\u00a0foreground.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another way to see these huge mountains is by taking Pilot Rock Trail. Named after the volcanic formation you’ll make your way towards, the trail stretches 3 miles out and back\u00a0and isn’t for beginners. The final leg of the hike requires a scramble to the top of the rock, which isn’t recommended when there’s snow on the ground or muddy snowmelts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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