The idea of extraterrestrial life has fascinated humans for millennia. While not broadly accepted by all in the mainstream today, a growing number of people are expressing their belief in extraterrestrial life — including intelligent aliens capable of visiting Earth. Many people also believe Earth has been visited in the past (and is currently being visited) by beings and probes from other planets.
Mount Shasta is a hotspot for sightings of unusual aerial phenomena, including suspected alien aircraft; and while claims of UFO sightings and alleged encounters with aliens on Mount Shasta have been made, concrete evidence supporting these claims remains elusive, causing many folks to maintain a skeptical stance until substantial, verifiable evidence is presented.
What Exactly Is A UFO?
UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) are objects observed in the sky that cannot be readily identified or easily explained. While most UFO sightings can be attributed to various natural phenomena, human-made objects, or visual misidentifications, a small percentage remain unexplained. These unexplainable observations fuel speculation over the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations.
Are Aliens Visiting Mount Shasta?
The question of otherworldly visitations to Mount Shasta is simple to answer: If you believe in intelligent alien life, then why not? It is a beautiful landmark and geologic formation — exactly the type of structure that human astronomers are studying on other planets. If you are not a believer in aliens, then what else could logically and reasonably explain the many unusual sights above Mount Shasta?
Mount Shasta’s unique climate showcases some of the planet’s most beautiful cloud formations and weather events. One common winter-time visitor is the lenticular cloud, which can often take the form of a stereotypical sci-fi fantasy “flying saucer,” and leads to many mistaken observances characterized as “UFOs over Mount Shasta.”
Over the years, I have been privileged to witness countless lenticular cloud formations interacting with Mount Shasta; but one, in particular, stands out in my memory as an example of how reasonable folk could believe that aliens visit us here to refuel their spacecraft using Mount Shasta’s “crystal energy.”
This event occurred one afternoon while I was enjoying the mountain’s beauty from my vantage point at Lake Shastina. An especially well-formed lenticular cloud, featuring a highly defined flying saucer shape, slowly made its way to the summit of Mount Shasta, where it paused and settled down over the peak.
These apparent “landings” are not uncommon, but what set this one apart from others I have seen was the sudden appearance of concentric rings of light pulsating back and forth between the mountain and the aerial phenomenon above. I tried to rationalize what I was seeing: It must be lightning, or perhaps a form of “St. Elmo’s Fire” — whatever the cause, the effect was dramatic, reminding me of an old 1930s science fiction movie with a Tesla coil in the background zapping sparking rings.
This remarkable display lasted for a few minutes, after which the lenticular rose and continued on its way westward as the weather system passed. It was the kind of event that made an impression on viewers, fueling continued speculation over the nature of the unusual activities occurring above Mount Shasta.
Two other UFO events over Mount Shasta also captured my imagination. The first was an early-morning spectacle of “a pillar of flame,” burning high against the backdrop of the mountain. Wildfires here are no joking matter, so I studied this blaze with alarm as it slowly moved across the sky. As the rising sun began to add definition to the surrounding landscape, the source of my worrisome mystery became apparent: Hot-air balloonists had made a pre-dawn sightseeing launch.
Another heart-stopping UFO sighting occurred while on an afternoon hike on the slopes of Mount Shasta when I looked up to admire the lichens and mosses growing on a particular tree — and saw a traditional “flying saucer” hovering motionless above me. At first, I didn’t believe my eyes, but what I saw was there and after a moment, I began to run up the hillside as quickly as I could to grab my camera from the car. Racing back down the hillside moments later, I looked up to where I first sighted this object, expecting it to be long gone — but it was still there, hovering high in the same spot…
The gossamer orb made no apparent movement or sound, and while I tried to rationalize that it was a weather balloon or a drone, it lacked the marker lights that drones typically carry, and while I’m not an aeronautical engineer or expert on the jet stream, I’ve never seen a high-altitude balloon sit still without some sort of tether. I returned to my vehicle to scout for a better vantage point, but I was unable to find any sign of the phenomenon again, so for me, this UFO over Mount Shasta remains unidentified.
Perhaps my most jaw-dropping UFO sighting in the region turned out not to be the work of aliens but of entrepreneur Elon Musk. It occurred several years ago while my wife and I were visiting our favorite hot springs in a remote area of Oregon. Avid stargazers, we were enjoying a fabulous view of the night sky while soaking in the romantic spring, when suddenly a long series of lights, akin to a brilliantly sparkling string of pearls, made an eerie procession across the heavens, traveling from horizon to horizon.
Perfectly aligned and spaced evenly apart, dozens of UFOs marched in a straight column, exhibiting a level of authority and precision — hallmarks of a non-natural event. In my imagination, I could hear the rhythmic thump of the old “Space Invaders” videogame soundtrack playing in accompaniment to the unfolding scene. Faster than any airplane, slower than “shooting stars,” these lights were relatively low in the night sky, were very bright, and sent a powerful message that we struggled to make sense of.
To me, it seemed a very dominant show of presence, not unlike that of Russia’s original Sputnik launch, so many years ago. My thoughts first went to “Darth Vader’s battle fleet,” to “Maybe the Chinese,” to maybe the act of a supervillain of James Bond or Austin Powers lore. For my wife’s part, this display was as likely to be the Heavenly Host heralding the return of Jesus. But no, it turned out to be Elon Musk’s deployment of the Starlink satellite chain — something we wouldn’t learn until days later, as our minds reeled seeking an explanation for this amazing phenomenon, which repeated itself the following night.
Witnessing a similar deployment in September 2023 while camping at the Montague Balloon Fair, numerous other observers were awe-struck by the display, but the explanation was familiar by now.
While the scientific community emphasizes the need for rigorous investigation and evidence-based analysis when studying UFOs and other mysterious phenomena, for travelers through the region and locals alike, seeing spectacular lenticular clouds hovering over Shasta’s summit like massive alien craft, and other aerial anomalies that can defy description or explanation, often lead to more questions than to answers — and can stir a more open-minded acceptance of the possibilities of neighboring intelligent life visiting us from beyond our world.