Things to see and do

You will find a listing of some of the major attractions and places to see while visiting Redding, CA. For a more complete view of our attactions and points of interest, request your free Redding Adventure Guide!

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay

The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is a beautiful, unique pedestrian bridge that crosses the Sacramento River and connects the Nationally-designated trail system in Redding, California, with the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and McConnell Arboretum.

The bridge is beautiful because of its aqua green, opaque glass deck; strips of granite; and smooth, white imported Spanish tile. The bridge is unique because of its design. The 217-foot pylon acts as a sundial, telling time on a tile covered garden border on the north side of the bridge. The designer of the bridge, world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, has said that, to him, the bridge resembles a bird in flight, and symbolizes the overcoming of adversity. The bridge is also environmentally sensitive to its river setting. The tall pylon and cable stays allow this unique suspension bridge to avoid the nearby salmon-spawning habitat. Several fly fishing publications and professional guides have rated this area of the Sacramento River as being in the top 10 tail water fisheries in the world!

View the Sundial Bridge mini site here

Cost: There is NO CHARGE to visit or walk across the Sundial Bridge!

Directions: I-5 to Exit 678/Eureka. One mile west to Exit 1/Park Marina Drive. Right at top of off-ramp—stay right, but merge to the left-hand lane to the northeast Convention Center parking lot.

Use the northeast parking lot at the Redding Convention Center, and follow the paved path to the bridge. From this entrance, you will also have access to the Café at Turtle Bay, where you can enjoy a cool beverage with splendid views of the bridge.

Bridge Hours:Café at Turtle Bay Hours:

6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. , Daily 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Daily

Special Requests: No horses or skateboards on the bridge, please. Bicycles should be walked across. Dogs are allowed on the Sacramento River Trail and, therefore, on the bridge; however, with the exception of service dogs, there are no dogs allowed on the Turtle Bay Exploration Park campus. The bridge's glass deck can get hot. Please remember this when walking your pets across the bridge.

Shasta Glide 'n Ride

Located at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California, Shasta Glide n' Ride is proud to be offering guided Segway tours of the Sacramento River Trail. Don't miss a chance to glide through one of the cleanest, most refreshing trails California has to offer. From the seasonal salmon run, visible from underwater viewing areas, to the wild west stories of the gold rush! Though the trail is paved, the atmosphere of the trail keeps you amongst the abundant wildlife. You may see raccoons, turtles sunning in the turtle pond, otter, deer, or even bald eagles as you glide one of California's premiere trails. All tours cross the world famous Sundial Bridge and include great photo ops. Glide in utmost comfort and safety with supplied helmets and cooling vests for those warm summer days. Did I forget to mention? We can accommodate groups up to 10 on only the newest 07'i2 and X2 models! Including a golf turf model.

Golf

Several opportunites to golf exist in and around Redding. Please view our golf page for more information.

What is there to see?

• Turtle Bay Museum is the heart of the Turtle Bay experience. It contains permanent, interactive exhibits and two large special exhibition galleries.
  
• Sundial Bridge now under construction, will cross the Sacramento River at a spectacular site in the heart of Redding.
  
• Paul Bunyan's Forest Camp features historic logging and ecology exhibits and also hosts a popular summer butterfly house.
  
• McConnell Arboretum contains 220 acres with walking trails through beautiful oak savanna, and wetlands teeming with wildlife.

Big League Dreams
Redding Sports Complex
530-223-1177

The Redding Big League Dreams Sports Complex, opening July 31, 2004, is envisioned as a family friendly facility offering a wide-range of athletic pursuits.

Key elements that will ultimately be featured at the sports complex site include:

• Three softball fields constructed to replicate the historic major-league stadiums of Boston's Fenway Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field and New York's Yankee Stadium, One non-replica softball field,
• One non-replica combination softball and hardball field,
• A nine-station batting cage, An indoor 20,000 square foot multi-sport field house -- designed to accommodate inline hockey, indoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, and corporate and special events -- and concession
• The Stadium Club, a family-style sports restaurant with spectacular views of on-going games at the replica stadiums, Four sand volleyball courts
• Tiny tot playground
• Four all-weather soccer fields
• A future site for the Shasta Sports Hall of Fame
• Parking for 400 cars, full landscaping and utilities.

Redding Aquatic Center
Caldwell Park
530-245-7247

Website

Sacramento River Trail

An 8 foot wide trail designed for pedestrian and bicycling traffic, attracting people of all ages--from the dedicated jogger to the elderly couple out for an evening stroll, from the weekend bicyclist and family outings to the fisherman look for that ideal angling spot.

Besides being a pleasant outing, the Sacramento River Trail is also an educational experience, offering insights into Redding's early history and natural surroundings. Along the trail, point-of-interest markers explain that the present trail crosses the road travelled by pioneers, mountain men and gold miners. Certain hints of the past--such as the site of a ferry crossing and the remains of hydraulic mining operations can be readily seen from the trail.

The southern portion covers 2.5 miles of fairly flat spaces and rolling hills to the pedestrian foot bridge below Keswick Dam. This bridge, the first of its kind in North America, is a 13-foot-wide, 420-foot-long concrete stress-ribbon structure, and is promoted by the State Department of Parks and Recreation as an "environmentally safe bridge."

Crossing over to the north side, the trail continues for another 1.4 miles over steeper, more rugged terrain that contours with the river. There is a slight break through a comfortable residential area, and then the trail picks up again for .8 of a mile and exits on Lake Redding Drive, near Caldwell Park and the original entrance. From start to finish, the complete loop is approximately 6 miles and can easily be walked in a couple of hours.

To complement the original 6 mil loop, a 1.7 mile extension of the Sacramento River Trail has been added on the river's north bank from the Diestlehorst Bridge to Benton Ranch. The new section of trail is 12 feet across and runs downriver through Lake Redding and Caldwell Parks under the Market Street vehicle bridge, through the McConnell Arboretum and up the hill to Hilltop Drive.

Shasta Dam
275-4463, or, 275-1554

The second largest and highest concrete structure in the United States, 602 feet high, and 3,460 feet long. A spectacular view of "The Three Shastas" (Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta) is an added enticement for a visit.

Shasta Lake
Phone: 800-280-CAMP (Forest Service Concessionaire)

Location:
12 miles north of Redding on I-5
Maximum depth: 517 feet

Shasta Lake offers the ultimate vacation experience whether you take advantage of scenic lake-view campgrounds and cabins, or rent a luxurious houseboat. Shasta Lake is the largest manmade lake in California, with over 365 miles of shoreline. The average water temperature is 77, perfect for any water sport.

Shasta lake draws more people to Redding each year than any other attraction. Shasta Lake is noted for being the houseboat capital of the west. For a relaxing vacation, nothing can compare to houseboating, and Shasta Lake is truly a houseboater's dream. Majestic mountains and towering evergreens are the backdrop to the lake. Shasta Lake's many arms and inlets make it a paradise for explorers and boaters alike.

There is a variety of recreation opportunities: camping, boating, picnicking, swimming, waterskiing, and fishing are favorite pursuits. If fishing is your pleasure, Shasta is almost a dream. With several main species of fish in the lake, angling is exciting the year around. Warm water fish include bluegill, crappie, small-and largemouth bass, bullhead, channel and white catfish, and white sturgeon. Trout fishermen test their sill on rainbow, brown, and kamloops.

Lake Shasta Caverns
800/795-CAVE, 530-238-2341

Explore nature's underground magic, thousands of years in the making. Guided tour includes a catamaran cruise across Shasta Lake, and a short bus ride to the Caverns entrance. Temperature is a constant 58 year-round. Open all year.

Summer Schedule:
Memorial Day to Labor Day - Tours depart every 1/2 hr., 9 am to 4 pm

April, May & September: -
Tours depart hourly from 9 to 3 pm

Winter Schedule:
October 1st to March 31st - Tours depart 10 am, 12:00 noon and 2 pm
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
(530) 246-1225 Visitor Center

Camping reservations (800) 365-2267 National Park Reservation Service

Oak Bottom Marina (530) 359-2027 Boat rentals, boat slips, fuel, groceries

Located approximately 20 minutes west of Redding on Highway 299 West, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area offers a lake with 36 miles of shoreline, sandy beaches, swimming, boating, and marinas. Numerous marked trails attract hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. A memorial to President John F. Kennedy, commemorating his dedication of the dam in 1963, is located on the south shore.

Fee:
$5 Daily Use Permit, $10 Weekly, or $20 Annual Pass.

Fishing: Lake fishing is good from boat or shore. Species include rainbow and brown trout, bass, and kokanee.

Watersports: Excellent boating (power boating, canoeing, and kayaking are popular), water-skiing, scuba diving, and swimming. Personal watercraft, such as Jet Skis, are not permitted as of 2002.

Camping: RV camping (fee) at Brandy Creek and Oak Bottom: dump station and water but no hookups. Oak Bottom also offers walk-in tent camping, with fire pits, picnic tables, and modern restrooms (free cold showers, pay hot showers).

Hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking: The extensive backcountry provides ample opportunities for these activities.

Hunting: The main game species is black-tailed deer. No hunting allowed in areas of concentrated human use; obtain map at Visitor Center.

Gold Panning: Requires a $1 permit available at the Visitor Center. Low impact, recreational panning only.

Ranger-guided activities: Walks offered year-round. Kayak tours, gold panning demonstrations, and evening programs are provided from mid-June through Labor Day. Evening programs at Oak Bottom Amphitheater cover cultural history, natural history, and recreation topics

In May 1914 Lassen Peak burst into eruption, beginning a 7-year cycle of sporadic volcanic outbursts. The reawakening of this volcano, profoundly altered the surrounding landscape. The area was made a national park in 1916 because of its significance as an active volcanic landscape. The park is a compact laboratory of volcanic phenomena and associated thermal features except true geysers.

The peak is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range, which extends from here into Canada. The western part of the park features great lava pinnacles, huge mountains created by lava flows, jagged craters, and steaming sulphur vents. It is cut by spectacular glaciated canyons and is dotted and threaded by lakes and rushing clear streams. Snowbanks persist year-round and beautiful meadows are spread with wildflowers in spring. The eastern part of the park is a vast lava plateau more than 1 mile above sea level. Here are found small cinder cones--Fairfield Peak, Hat Mountain, and Crater Butte. Forested with pine and fir, this area is studded with small lakes, but it boasts few streams. Warner Valley, features hot spring areas--Boiling Springs Lake, Devils Kitchen, and Terminal Geyser. This forested, steep valley also has gorgeous large meadows.

Lassen geothermal area--Sulphur Works, Bumpass Hell (largest), Little Hot Springs Valley, Boiling Springs Lake, Devils Kitchen, and Terminal Geyser--offer bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and boiling water. Some of these thermal features are getting hotter. Scientists think that Lassen Park and Mount Shasta are the most likely candidates in the Cascades to join Mount Saint Helens as active volcanoes.

Activities:

• Auto Tour and Road Guide: The main park road loops around three sides of Lassen Peak. It offers access to trails, lakes, and volcanic and geothermal features. Ask about the Road Guide to Lassen National Park (fee) at information centers. Roadside markers are keyed to the Road Guide.
  
• Hiking: The park's 150 miles of trails include a 17-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail. The Lassen Trails booklet describes popular hikes. Self-guiding trails make good introductions to hiking and the park.
  
• Fishing and Boating: Fishing requires a valid California fishing license and knowledge of park regulations and catch and possession limits.
  
• Boating: Rowboats, canoes, and no-power boats can be used on park lakes except Reflection, Emerald, Helen, and Boiling Springs. Power boats--including electric motors--are prohibited.
  
• Backcountry Use: A wilderness permit (free) is required for any overnight backcountry stay. Permits are issued for one trip at a time at park headquarters or contact stations. They can be requested two weeks before your trip by writing or calling the superintendent.
  
• Fires: Only self-contained stoves are permitted. No wood fires allowed.
  
• Stock Use: Pack and saddle stock may stay overnight only in corrals provided at Butte Lake, Summit Lake, and Juniper Lake. Reservations required. There is a small corral near the northern park boundary for Pacific Crest Trail users.