The
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
I
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.
Overlook
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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