Marielle + Aryk are one of my gorgeous 2022 couples (SO EXCITED for their Oregon coast wedding at Crook Point) For their September engagement session we decided to make it a NorCal adventure at Mt. Shasta!! It happened to be about halfway between me in Oregon and them in California which was perfect! I’m always down to travel – especially to a place as amazing as Shasta!! It’s no secret that I am truly a PNW girl at heart and LOVE traveling back and forth between Oregon, California, and Washington (can’t wait to do more of it in 2022!!) Okay are you ready to seeing the dreamiest Mount Shasta engagement session?

The location

If you want the absolute BEST views (and least crowded spots) you’ll need to do a little hiking. This spot was just a mere 2 miles and was SO WORTH the extra effort. Heart Lake is a part of the Trinity Divide, a series of mountains separating the Trinity River on the West and the Sacramento River on the East. Here you’ll find gorgeous lakes, rivers, and even some waterfalls. Definitely an incredible part of Northern California that is well worth spending some time exploring!!

My husband and got to the trail early in the morning to scope it out and found this magical location. I happily did the hike twice in one day!! The trail to Heart Lake starts at Castle Lake (a more accessible spot, and bigger lake.) There a quite a few different trails and hidden spots around if you don’t want to do a longer hike!

If you’re looking for more epic NorCal hikes like this one check out this post with the 125 Hiking Trails in Upper Northern California! You’ll find trails with varying elevations and ranges in difficulty. I promise you won’t be disappointed!! You can pretty much visit the area in any season and fall in love with the landscape (this is the part of California that actually does get SNOW in the winter though so be prepared!) If you’re looking for a good location to stay at, that isn’t too remote, check out the city of Mt. Shasta itself! It’s small, but has all the necessary amenities (hotels, grocery stores, and even a museum!) Be sure to stop by local Seven Suns Coffee & Cafe in town for a bomb cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast, or stop by the classic Black Bear Diner for a slice of pie!!

The couple

“We’ve known each other for about 10 years and have been dating for a little over 7 years. I always like to say we’ve grown up together and can’t wait to grow old together. We just bought a house and have two pups named Cooper and Maverick! He is my absolute best friend. We both love Jesus and the Oregon Coast and want to incorporate both into our big day”

These two were seriously the sweetest, and we had such a blast photographing their adventurous engagement in the mountains; I can’t wait for their Oregon coast wedding!! If you’re ready to start planning your dream engagement session (or a spontaneous adventurous couples shoot!) contact me here and let’s start dreaming!! All my elopement/wedding couples get $100 off an engagement session, so if you’re ready to book your big day as well LET’S DO THIS!!

Okay ready to dive into the dreamiest mountain engagement photos? LETS GO! I hope you enjoy this Mt Shasta engagement session!

Heart Lake Engagement Photos

Dress: Raw Golden Rentals

Be sure to check out my Pinterest for more Mount Shasta Engagement photo inspiration and outfit ideas for your shoot!!