After
20 years of both living in Redding and visiting Redding on vacation,
we've discovered some great places for recreational day trips with
great stops along the way for a great day of Redding Recreation.
Whiskeytown
National Recreation Area
This
is a beautiful lake without the large crowds. We love to take our
ski boat out to one of the small islands on the lake and spend the
day swimming in the warm water. If you prefer to just relax and have
a picnic, there are many beaches and picnic areas around the lake.
Located
just minutes from downtown Redding. Whiskeytown Lake, provides 36
miles of shoreline and 3200 surface acres of water, and is excellent
for most water-related activities, including boat free swimming areas,
scuba diving, water skiing, boating and fishing. Other popular activities
include kayaking, canoeing sailing and windsurfing. Ranger guided
programs are offered during the summer months..
Directions:
From Interstate 5, take the Highway 44 West exit toward Downtown
Redding and Eureka. From Downtown Redding, follow Highway 299 west
toward Eureka for approximately 8 miles to reach the Visitor Center.
For more info, visit the Whiskeytown
Visitors Web Site.
SHASTA
LAKE
Famous
for houseboating and water skiing, Shasta Lake is located just minutes
from Redding and is part of the Whiskeytown Shasta Trinity National
Recreation Area. Camping, hiking, hunting and mountain biking opportunities
abound.
While
Shasta Lake may look like several lakes at first glance, it is actually
one big lake with 370 miles of shoreline. Shasta Lake has an excellent
visitors center located on Mountain Gate exit off of Highway 5 where
you can pick up maps, brochures and general information about the
lake. You can contact the Shasta Lake Visitor Information Center
by calling (530) 275-1589, (530) 242-5526 (TDD) or by visiting the Shasta
Lake Visitor Web Site
Shasta
State Historic Park
If
you are looking for a great way to spend an afternoon and enjoy western
history, then Shasta Lake Historic Park is a good choice. Located
just 6 miles from Redding w. on SR 299. A gold-rush relic of days
gone by when Shasta was a robust gold mining town of 2500. Today
there is a museum that contains historical exhibits including the
Boggs Collection of 100 years of California Art. Some interesting
unrestored buildings still stand as reminders of Shasta's mining
days.
Castle
Craigs State Park
One
of our favorite State Parks in the Redding area is the Castle Craigs
State Park. The park got its name from its magnificent 6,000-feet
glacier-polished craigs. The park is located six miles south of Dunsmuir
right off of I-5 and is about a 40 minutes drive from Redding. The
drive is well worth it as when you get to the park, you really feel
that you have gotten away from the maddening crowds.
The
park offers swimming and fishing in the Sacramento River in the summer,
hiking in the back country, and a view of Mount Shasta. The 4,350-acre
park also features 28 miles of very well groomed hiking trails, which
are great for day hikes, including a 2.7 mile access trail to Castle
Crags Wilderness, part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. There
are 76 developed campsites and six environmental campsites. Crest
Trail also passes through the park. You can reach the park directly
by telephone 530-235-2684 or 530-225-2065. If you need to make camping
reservations or need more detailed information, contact the State
Parks Web Site or you can call them directly at (1-800-444-7275).
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Another park that's well worth the drive from Redding is Mc-Arthur-Burney Falls
Memorial State Park. The park is northeast of Redding, 6 miles north of Highway
299 on Highway 89 near the Burney State Park and is about a 45 minutes to drive
there from Redding.
Visitors
from across the West are attracted to Burney Falls to see the spectacular
129-foot waterfall. 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 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.
Burney
Falls was evidentially named after pioneer settler Samuel Burney
who lived in the area in the 1850s. The McArthurs arrived in the
late 1800s.as pioneers.and were responsible for saving the waterfall
and nearby land from development. They purchased the property and
gave it to the state as a gift in the 1920s. For more detailed information
about Burney Falls, you can contact the State
Parks Web Site or you can call them at (1-800-444-7275)
LASSEN
VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK
The
peaks of the Lassen Volcano can seen from almost anywhere in Redding
and even though they look far away, you can actually reach the park
in less than an hours drive. The last eruption began in Spring of
1914 with a spring of relatively small eruptions which finally reached
their peak in 1915. This activity continued until about 1921.
Today,
Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the most beautiful and interesting
park in the county with over 150 miles of trails and a beautiful
significant scenic highway which provide access to volcanic wonders
including steam vents, mud pots, boiling pools, volcanic peaks, and
painted dunes. For more detailed information about the park, you
can contact the National Park
Web site or call them at (530) 595-4444.