Shasta Lake

This lake is fairly crowded, and for good reason. It has many inlets, including the North Sacramento River, the McCloud River, the Pit River, and some creeks. The one outlet is the Lower Sacramento River, which makes that river to the south of the lake so huge (in width). It is best to go in the fall.

This is the second largest dam in the U.S. (and the dam with the world's greatest overflow spillway), and provides electricity to the majority of the North Central Valley, and flood protection to the whole Central Valley. It is worth visiting just to enjoy the view from the top, but is not for acrophobes.

For those seeking something more tourist oriented, a complex consisting of a marina, a restaurant, a motel, and a general store.