THE MOUNTAIN, DOCUMENTED
South Gate Meadows
Over the divide, through The Gate, into hidden spring-fed country.
A trail east from Old Ski Bowl crosses a divide, descends toward Red Butte and passes through The Gate to a set of spring-fed subalpine meadows inside Mount Shasta Wilderness.
Explore South Gate Meadows in 3D ↗Editorial review: November 1, 2026 at 04:58 UTC. Source dates vary.
By the VisitShasta.org editorial team · Send a correction
This guide preserves a dated review. Confirm current road access, land-manager orders, weather and snow conditions with the original sources. A mapped route does not establish legal access or safety. Open the atlas conditions desk for separately dated live products.
Explore this place
- Read the terrain before committing to the return climb.
- Locate Red Butte, Hummingbird Meadow and the wilderness boundary.
- Stay on established paths around the springs.
Read the land
A rolling route rather than a simple uphill hike: the outward descent must be climbed again on the return.
Planning, access and history
Agency route scale
The Forest Service describes about four miles round trip and 800 feet of total climbing, with roughly 400 feet each way. These are guide figures, separate from the atlas’s DEM estimates.
Wilderness setting
The route enters wilderness after crossing the divide from the bowl. The guide prohibits dogs and wood fires and requires careful waste packout and campsite setbacks.
Terrain and hazards
Return junction
The agency notes that hikers have lost their way at the intersection below Red Butte. Record your outward route and return by the intended trail.
Original sources
Read articles and official documents at their publishers. “Page checked” records a retrieval or metadata check, not confirmation that every statement remains current. Older observations and reports are historical context.
- Panther Basin and Panther Meadows · Order 14-26-10
US Forest Service · Official
Publisher updated: September 21, 2026 · Editorial review: November 1, 2026 at 04:58 UTC · Page checked: November 1, 2026 at 04:58 UTC
Static reference; recheck access, fees and rules before travel
- South Gate Meadows · Forest Service trail guide
US Forest Service · Official
Editorial review: November 1, 2026 at 04:58 UTC · Page checked: November 1, 2026 at 04:58 UTC
Static reference; recheck access, fees and rules before travel