The purpose of this study was to evaluate a period in the history of the region surrounding Mount Shasta, a sentinel on the surface of the earth and in the minds of ancient as well as modern man. The study presents the area's geologic history, its pre-history and discovery by the white man in order to provide the reader with an understanding of the later exploration and early settlement of the region. The emergence of the U.S. Forest Service and the creation of Shasta Forest as well as the evolution of Federal regulatory policy and control is presented along with a discussion of the area's transition and recent wilderness legislation. It is the writer's hope that this information might be utilized by others who are concerned with the preservation of the Shasta Peak Wilderness Area.