As of Oct. 5, 2026, you can no longer drive to Lower Falls, Fowlers Campground, Middle Falls or Upper Falls. A Shasta-Trinity National Forest order signed Sept. 3 bans motor vehicles on the roads to all three falls from Oct. 5, 2026, through May 1, 2027. The Forest Service's own Upper McCloud River Loop page still says the gates close "from November 1 through April 1."
Those two windows are not the same length. November 1 to April 1 is about five months. October 5 to May 1 is close to seven. This year that adds roughly four weeks of walk-in season at the start and four at the end, and the fall half has already begun. If you plan to show the falls to visiting family this month, the route now starts at a gate on Highway 89. Plan for the walk in.
The order is Forest Order No. 14-26-12, covering the Mt. Shasta and McCloud Ranger Districts. Its first prohibition reads:
"Using a motor vehicle in the area described in Exhibit A and on the NFS roads as shown on Exhibits B-E."
These are the McCloud roads listed in Exhibit B:
The order covers motor vehicles only. It says nothing about walking. Exemptions are limited to permit holders, snowmobiles on a designated bypass in the separate Nordic ski area, and officers or rescue and fire crews on duty. Violations carry a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual.
Some older information still looks current. The Forest Service's Current Conditions page, last updated Sept. 1, showed the McCloud Loop Road, Fowlers and Lower Falls Day Use as open. On Recreation.gov, Fowlers' peak season runs May 15 to Oct. 15, 2026. Both dates come before the closure order was posted on Sept. 22, or describe the campground season rather than road access. The order is the newest document here, and it sets the rules until May.
To get there, drive about 5 miles southeast of McCloud on Highway 89 to the Forest Service sign for Fowlers and Lower Falls. That turnoff is the McCloud River Loop Road, 40N44. The Mount Shasta Trail Association says winter trailhead parking is just south of Highway 89 at the 40N44 gate.
From there, the walk breaks down like this:
The Forest Service puts a round trip to all three falls from the Lower Falls trailhead at about three miles. The trail association lists four miles round trip for the route. Under the closure, add the road walk both ways. Using the Forest Service figures, starting at the gate turns a three-mile outing into roughly five miles. Fall days are getting shorter, so start earlier than you would in summer.
Dog owners should know the Forest Service rule for developed sites in this area. Pets need a leash no longer than six feet or must be under physical control. The trail runs between 3,200 and 3,600 feet in elevation.
The walk is the same in October and January. What changes is what's on your feet. The Forest Service trail page, updated Oct. 2, 2026, says that after significant snowfall you should park near Highway 89 and snowshoe or cross-country ski in. The trail association lists the route as year-round, with snowshoes or skis needed in winter. Separately, the Forest Service restricts travel on the southeast stretch of 40N44 during snowfall.
So the season runs in two stages. From now until the first real storm, the road walk is the only added effort. After that, it's a snowshoe outing that starts at the same gate. For current conditions on any given week, the McCloud Ranger Station is at 2019 Forest Road. It's open Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the phone number is 530-964-2184.
With the falls now a morning walk instead of a quick drive, the afternoons and evenings can stay in town, and late October has plenty going on there.
Before the walk. The McCloud Mercantile lists breakfast at Spill the Beans and White Mountain Cafe. For later in the day, it lists happy hour at the McCloud Meat Market.
October 17 and 18. The McCloud Hotel is hosting "The Case of the Black Veil," an afternoon-tea mystery, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Tickets are $45 for adults and $35 for children, and reservations are required at 530-859-8111.
October 23 and 30. Discover Siskiyou lists a Haunted McCloud Railroad Excursion on both Friday nights. Riders board railbikes at 6 p.m. for a 2.5-hour sunset tour past a "haunted train graveyard," then s'mores by the fire and a pumpkin to pick and take home. Tickets are $125 for adults and $62 for children. The listing doesn't name the operator. Railbike rides are new in town this year. Shasta Railbikes, at 303 Main Street, runs rides on the historic tracks in McCloud. According to the McCloud River Railroad news page, its soft opening was Aug. 15 and 16, with two trips each day. Its booking page offers scenic, sunset and private scenic rides, and the calendar shows October and November 2026.
Starting October 23. McCloud RV Park is holding its sixth annual Halloween party. It's free and circus-themed, with live music, food, drinks and a costume contest "all weekend."
The busiest stretch of the town calendar falls in the same weeks the falls went walk-in only. The two fit together. A morning loop from the gate leaves the afternoon for tea at the hotel, and the railbike rides start at 6 p.m., after a day on the trail.
One more change is close to done. Caltrans has been repaving State Route 89 from 0.8 mile south of Mud Creek Bridge to Interstate 5, with Tullis, Inc. as contractor. Caltrans' project record lists it as 94% complete, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 16, 2026. In June, KRCR reported that crews were working weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on about 13.4 miles, with delays of up to 30 minutes. October 16 is an estimate, not a confirmed finish. Until crews clear out, it makes sense to leave extra time for a weekday trip toward Mount Shasta or the interstate.
After October, the next big event on the McCloud calendar is Vintage Christmas. Discover Siskiyou lists McCloud's holiday weekends on Dec. 4–5, Dec. 11–12 and Dec. 18–19, 2026, and points to the McCloud Chamber for details. The Chamber's schedule page still shows the 2025 program, so the day-by-day 2026 lineup isn't posted yet.
Through all of it, the falls roads stay closed to vehicles. Under Forest Order 14-26-12, they can't reopen to cars before May 1, 2027, a month later than the April 1 date on the Forest Service's recreation page.
In McCloud, when you can get to the forest shapes daily life as much as the house itself. If you own here or are thinking about it and want to talk about how seasonal access affects a particular property, Sunshine Realty 530 is glad to help. Ask us for a free home valuation and local market review, and we'll bring what we know about McCloud's calendar to the conversation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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