Shasta, Mount

Dormant volcano in north California, USA. It is one of the highest peaks in the USA, rising to 4,317 m/14,162 ft in the Cascade Range. Its last eruption occurred in 1786, but steam vents are visible on the slopes. Five glaciers descend from the volcano's snow-capped summit. Worn down by glaciation, Shasta now has three separate vents. The mount has a wide variety of alpine plants as well as virgin stands of the rare Shasta red fir. Shasta has been associated with the beliefs and myths both of ancient Californians and of modern occultists.