11 Reasons Redding Rocks – the Hidden Treasure of California

This moderately-sized city in Northern California is brimming with superlative attractions

May 31, 2024

I just returned from a press trip to Redding and couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. While I’m not a big fan of “listicles” (when writers list 10 reasons why X or Y is a “must buy” or “must visit”), however, there are just so many cool things about Redding that I’ve got to start with 11 (or more) of my favorite reasons to visit.

About midway down Interstate 5, equidistant from Seattle, WA and San Diego, CA, it’s also about the same distance east to Salt Lake City, UT. Driving to Redding is a treat, with forested roads and snow-covered peaks like Mount Shasta

and Mount Lassen Volcanic National Park to delight the eyes as you drive.

With its own regional airport, you can connect to major cities via United Airlines (direct to San Francisco and Los Angeles), Alaska Airlines (direct to Seattle), and Avelo Airlines (direct to Burbank).

Redding Regional Airport (RDD) is one of those smaller airports that actually makes flying fun again. There are no long security lines or half-mile walks to Gate E33. Everything is within about one city block-long walk. Avis, Hertz and Budget have cars available immediately outside the airport doors. Couldn’t be more convenient.

If you arrive hungry, you won’t be for long. Go upstairs above the airport concourse and enjoy a fabulous meal at Peter Chu’s Skyroom, serving Asian and Chinese lunch and dinner. We sampled a half-dozen entrees and each was a star-studded attraction in its own right. You won’t be disappointed.

If you’ve even more time to spend, consider walking next door to Air Shasta and AV8, where you can book a charter helicopter tour of the region. Our AV8 pilot, Nathan, took us up for a tour over the Shasta Bally , the highest peak in the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National recreation area, over the Shasta Dam,

and over the Sundial Bridge at sunset.

Motels, hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, RV parks – you name it, you’ll have a choice within minutes of Redding.

I stayed first at Oxford Suites Redding (#1 Rated Best Value of 27 Redding hotels on TripAdvisor). It is very convenient to shopping, dining, and the freeway exits from both I-5 and CA-44. Their breakfasts were excellent, with fresh-cooked entrees and lots of standard breakfast staples. Menu items change daily. Drinks at happy hour were delightful as well.

The room was spacious, with a super-comfortable bed and plenty of desk space for me to hook up my computer, download photos, and recharge batteries.

Later, I joined our group, staying at the Sheraton Redding Hotel at the Sundial Bridge.

If you don’t have a car, there are so many things to do within walking distance that this might be a great place to stay. Attached to the hotel are two dining delights – the Mosaic Restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and the Branch House Riverfront Bistro coffee house – perfect for snacks, cold drinks and coffee or tea – with indoor and outdoor dining.

Within walking distance of the Sheraton, is the site of the annual Redding Rodeo. This year celebrates their 76th year. And they put on quite a show, with sellout attendance each evening.

From the moment I saw it pictured in a magazine, I’d been dying to see it up close and personal. The experience was every bit as special as I thought it would be. Designed by a world-famous architect/engineer/artist, Santiago Calatrava, the bridge spans 710 feet across the Sacramento River without any supports touching the water.

Synonymous with the City of Redding, the bridge lights up beautifully at night and casts its glow onto the river below. 

During the day, the giant pylon functions as a sundial, casting a shadow over a giant tiled arc. It’s the largest working sundial in the world.

Enabling pedestrians and bikers to cross the wide Sacramento River, it’s become the de facto gateway to the entire trail system encircling Redding.

TURTLE BAY EXPLORATION PARK

On either side of the bridge, you’ll find attractions comprising the Exploration Park. On the south side of the bridge is a 100-acre museum and wildlife center. Revolving exhibits emphasize the natural history of the region. Lots of hands-on exhibits will keep kids and kids-at-heart interested.

The outdoor portion of the wildlife center has more opportunities to see live animals up close – sometimes really, really close.

With advance reservations and an extra charge, you can enter the habitat and have a personal encounter with Timber, the beaver. Spoiler alert – Timber won’t bother to dry himself off before he sits on your lap and waits for you to feed him. No harm – no foul – it’s just water, and it dries right up.

Across the bridge, the 200-acre McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Garden offers multiple handicap-accessible paths amongst the gardens and landscape features. While we were there, they had a special exhibit of Asian lantern-like animal and flower sculptures, all lit up at night. It was super popular, but the display ends this weekend.

TANTALIZING TRAILS

One of the things I love most about my hometown of Strongsville, Ohio, is its proximity to our Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park trails for biking, hiking, etc. Well, now I’m obsessed with the trail network around Redding. No wonder it is called the Trails Capital of California, with 220 miles of trails within a 15-mile radius.

I hiked and biked short stretches of a dozen or more, which were terrific. See here for walking trails and here for biking trails. One of the premier trails starts at the Sundial Bridge and continues north 19 miles to the Shasta Dam. It’s so good that it’s been declared a National Trail. Or, if you don’t have the time, go halfway and cross over the Sacramento River Trail Bridge, the first of its kind in North America.

It’s a 418-foot-long concrete stress ribbon bridge that feels perfectly stable even when biking across the center of the span. 

In addition to the hiking, biking, and walking trails conveniently located within the city, they’ve also got a mighty network of dirt bike, 4×4, and ATV trails. Check Visit Redding’s Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) information if that’s how you roll.

When I turned 75, I thought my days of 75-mile bike rides were well behind me, but hell no! Not with the advent of e-bikes. Over the past ten years, I’ve tested more than a dozen different brands with mixed success. I even converted my own bike into an e-bike with a conversion kit.

But, I’ve never ridden an e-bike as much fun as a Pedego. They’ve got a Redding location for sales, service and rentals. We rented the Boomerang models, which are ideal for anyone, including seniors and women, with their low-step design.

With a 749-watt motor and optional 17.5Ah battery, you can cruise up to 75 miles for less than 25 cents worth of electricity. With five levels of pedal assist and full power on demand, there are very few places you can’t go for a day of fun in the sun. The power and smooth ride blew me away.

If I had the time, I would have done the whole Redding to Shasta Dam trail. Next time!

FLY FISHING

The Sacramento River is considered one of the most prolific sites for trout fishing in the United States. When asked if I’d like to try it, I had my doubts. I’d tried fly fishing in Colorado and only succeeded in losing half a dozen expensive flies before admitting defeat.

Things were different this time after an hour with Anthony, a full-time fly fishing instructor and guide with AC Fly Fishing. We went drifting on what’s known as the Lower Sac, the mecca of fly fishermen, and I actually landed a lovely trout.

Three bigger ones got away first, but I finally landed my first catch-and-release fish with a barbless hook. As a matter of fact, our party of four each caught one or more fish that evening. Quite the accomplishment for each of us neophytes, thanks to our expert guides.

 While the Sacramento River is super popular with kayakers, people with larger boats will gravitate to the two larger bodies of water, one north and one west of the city.

About 10 or 15 minutes to the north is Lake Shasta, which was formed by the Shasta Dam. The lake expands like four fingers from your hand extending north and east of the Dam. With 365 miles of shoreline, it’s one of the largest lakes in the western United States. Known as the Houseboat Capital, you’ll find hundreds of houseboats for rent. You won’t run out of areas to explore with all that shoreline.

West of town is the 3,200-acre Whiskeytown Lake. It’s perfect for boating, waterskiing, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and canoeing. Want to get wet? It’s also a favorite for swimming and scuba diving. Having so much fun, you don’t want to leave? There are primitive and RV camping areas available.

While near Whiskeytown Lake, two bits of history can be enjoyed in a single afternoon.

John F. Kennedy dedicated the Whiskeytown Dam on September 28, 1963, two months before his assassination. The dedication is commemorated with bas-relief sculptures at the site, created by Italian artist Roberto Ciabani. Kennedy’s speech can be replayed through a stainless steel pedestal next to the memorial.

A mere three minutes away, the Shasta State Historic Park in Shasta, California, has preserved many partial and a few complete buildings from the gold rush days of the 1850s. The museum has a wealth of information on the town, including the complete courtroom, jail, and hanging gallows out back.

Shasta Dam has just reopened to tours, and it’s worth the trip. It is the second largest in this country and the tallest center overflow dam. The Dam holds back enough water to fill a large swimming pool for every household in the United States. Tours are held daily and are free to the public. See it from above, inside and outside at the bottom. Impressive.

Be sure to take time to view the video about the construction completed back in 1945. This Dam,883 feet thick at the base, would be a task even today, but the construction was hard to fathom back then. One feature jumped out to me.

To create all that concrete in an area with no gravel, they built a 10 to 12-mile-long conveyor belt to transfer the gravel from near the Sundial Bridge in Redding, all the way north to the dam site. Another fun fact is that the spillway is 487 feet tall – three times the height of Niagara Falls, making it the highest man-made waterfall in the world. Unfortunately, the day I was there, there was no demand for water, so minimal water was cascading down.

Lake Shasta Caverns is a national natural landmark. It starts with “You can’t get there from here.”

Reaching the caverns starts at their headquarters at 20359 Shasta Caverns Road,  Lakehead, CA. After checking in, you’ll walk down to the boat dock on Lake Shasta. A pontoon boat takes you on a 15-minute ride across Lake Shasta.

On the other side, you’ll transfer to the cavern’s bus, which will take you, through multiple hairpin turns, 800 feet up to the entrance to the caverns. From there, you’ll descend 200 feet into the caverns. Did I mention bringing comfortable walking shoes?

The sights in the caverns are breathtaking, especially when you consider that most of the stalactites and stalagmites are a couple of million years old. Just as impressive, new ones are still being created.

Well, that’s all for today, but stay tuned, or better yet, SUBSCRIBE, so you’ll know when we publish more stories on Redding.