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Northern California Hiking Trails

Recreation >> Northern California Hiking Trails

Redding Hiking | Whiskeytown Hiking| Lake Shasta Hiking | Mount Lassen Hiking | Castle Craigs Hiking | Burney Falls Hiking



City of Redding Trails

Some of the best Northern California Hiking Trails are right within the Redding city limits as well as endless hiking possibilities around Shasta Lake, Whiskeytown Lake, Castle Craigs State Park, Burney Falls, and Lassen National Park. We've outlined some of the best hiking trails below and provided links to maps and directions to the trails.

Approaching the Sundial Bridge from the River TrailThe beautiful Sacramento River Trail runs through the City of Redidng and has over 10 miles of hiking and biking trails which run along both sides of the Sacramento River. You can access the trail at several points but one particularly nice walk is to access the trail at Caldwell Park and walk for about 30 minutes to the Sundial Bridge. You can't miss the Sundial Bridge from the Trail and after you have walked over the bridge, you can continue on further down the trail or head back to Caldwell Park.

There are several other trails within the City of Redding ranging from short trails such as the 3 quarters of a mile Mary Lake Trail in West Redding to a moderate 2.4 mile Blue Gravel Trail and longer trails such as the 4 mile Lema Ranch Trail. Click here to find out more about Northern California Hiking Trails in Redding.

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Whiskeytown Trails

View of Whiskeytown from the Visitors CenterI would recommend stopping by the Visitors Center to pick up a detailed map of the trails and directions to the trailheads in the Whiskeytown National Recreation area. If you just want a short stroll, there is a short lookout trail just off of the Visitor Center Parking lot that will lead you down to Whiskeytown Lake itself. There are also several hikes ranging from easy to moderate. We've listed some of our favorites but there are several in each category to choose from.

Easy and Short Hikes:
Davis Gulch Trail: An easy hike for beginners and children with benches along the way for resting.
Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail: A beautiful short hike of about 1.5 miles round trip. This tranquil trail follows a water ditch through a forest of canyon live oaks and ponderosa pines. Directions and Map.

Moderate Hikes:
Mt. Shasta Mine Loop Trail: A nice 3.5 mile loop with an elevation change of 540 feet. This hike provides vistas of lake. Directions and Map.
Boulder Creek Trail: This trail is beautiful from beginning to end with the final destination being the 81 foot Boulder Creek Falls. Follow the creek and enjoy the beautiful vegetation along the way. This trail is 3.2 miles one way. Directions and Map.

Challenging Hikes:
Brandy Creek Falls: If you want a more challenging hike and have the time, the Brandy Creek Falls trail is well worth the hike to see the falls, especially in the spring.
Kanaka Peak Trail
: For the more experienced hiker, a hike to Kanaka Peak is considered the most challenging and strenuous in Whiskeytown.

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Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake is located just a few miles north of Redding, off I-5 and offers hikers several miles of scenic trails surrounding the lake. There are several short trails ranging from 1/2 mile overlooks to up to 8 miles long.

Shasta Lake from a Vista PointOverlook Trail - A short trail of only 0.4 miles but provides nice views from the top of a knoll overlooking the Sacramento River. Directions and Map.
Fish Loop Trail is a 0.7 mile short loop trail known for its good access for fishing. Directions and Map.
East Side Trail - Another short trail of 0.4 miles which provides good access to fishing and swimming area. Great vista point overlooking Packers Bay. Directions and Map.
Samwel Cave Nature Trail. A short, 1 mile hike to the Wintu Indian Caves. Directions and Map.
Hirz Bay Trail - This is more of a scenic walk that follows the shoreline providing great views of the lake. Directions and Map.
Bailey Cove Trail. This is a very scenic 3.1 mile hike along the Lake meandering through hot, dry areas covered with manzanita to cooler terrain of pines and oaks. Directions and Map
Dry Fork Creek Trail - Offers great views of Shasta Lake and fishing access. Directions and Map
Greens Creek Trail - This 5.85 mile trail is only accessible via boat from the Greens creek boat-in-campground. Steep climb to the ridge top where you get great views of Lake Shasta and surrounding countryside. Directions and Map
Clikapudi Trail. A longer, very popular hike of up to 10 miles depending on where you access the trail. Rich in wild life, views of Shasta Lake and waterfalls during winter. Directions and Map

Click here to download a a complete Shasta Lake Trail guide provided by the Shasta Trinity National Forest Unit.


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Castle Craigs

Castle Craigs is located north of Redding off of I-5 in Castella. There are more than 28 miles of hiking trails. Trails range from short 1/4 mile nature trails to 8 mile more challenging treks. Crags Trail which takes you to the Vista Point Trail provides you with a great view of the 4966 foot Castle Dome, the leading spire on the crags ridge. In addition, you can access the 2.7 mile access trail to Castle Crags Wilderness, part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Pacific Crest Trail also passes through the park and is the parks longest trail for those seeking a more challenging hike.

There are other smaller trails in the park such as the campground trail and the River trail which allow you to connect between trails, the campground and the park office. Directions and Map.

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Burney Falls

You can walk from the park entrance to a rocky overlook which is the main overlook for picture taking. There is also an easy 1 mile loop called Burney Falls Trail which goes around the waterfall and back to the park if you just want to see the waterfall. If you want to explore the park in more detail, there are several longer hiking trails. Our favorite is to take the Lake Trail or the Rim Trail to Lake Britton. It's an easy pretty walk and is about 3 miles round trip. Picnicking and Camping is also offered. Directions and Map.

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Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen park contains 150 miles of trails of which 17 miles are of the famous Pacific Crest Trail. Easy Trails: The 1 mile Lily Pond Trail or the Manzanita Lake Trail. If you want to experience volcanic mud spots take the Boiling Springs Lake Trail or the Bumpass Hell Trail which is a moderate 3 mile hike to the thermal area of the park. The experienced, fit hiker might want to take the Cinder Cone, Brokeoff Mountain, Mount Harkness or Lassen Peak Trails which range anywhere from 4 to 7 1/2 miles in duration. If you can make it to the top of the Lassen Peak Trail you will encounter a spectacular view of the park. You can pick up Trail Maps at the Visitor Center at the park. Contact Lassen Volcanic National Park directly for more information on any of these trails. Area Map. Park Map.

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