Redding

A base city on the Sacramento River in Northern California: beyond the Sundial Bridge, Shasta Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Burney Falls are all within an hour or so by car.

Redding sits at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. It's the seat of Shasta County and the gateway to the region's volcanoes, lakes and forests. The city's best-known landmark is the Sundial Bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava; together with the nearby Turtle Bay Exploration Park, the Sacramento River Trail and the downtown Cascade Theatre, it can be covered in half a day. Excursions fan out in several directions: 15–30 minutes north are Shasta Dam, houseboating on Shasta Lake and the lakeside Lake Shasta Caverns, reached by boat; to the west are the gold-rush ruins of Old Shasta and Whiskeytown Lake and its waterfalls, and farther west the Weaverville Joss House; about an hour east is Lassen Volcanic National Park, whose main road links the Sulphur Works geothermal area, Bumpass Hell, Lassen Peak and Manzanita Lake; to the northeast, past Subway Cave lava tube, is Burney Falls; and about an hour north are Castle Crags and snowcapped Mount Shasta. The climate is classic Mediterranean: summers often top 38°C, ideal for time on the lakes, while spring and fall are the most pleasant; the main road through Lassen is usually open June–October. Driving is the main way to get around; Redding has a small airport and an Amtrak station, and it's about a 3.5-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. Plan on 3–4 days. In summer and fall, watch for wildfire-season road and air-quality advisories.

Top sights

• Sundial Bridge – A Calatrava-designed cable-stayed pedestrian bridge whose white pylon doubles as a giant sundial, and Redding's signature landmark.
• Shasta Dam – The second-tallest concrete gravity dam in the United States; you can walk along the crest and look out over Shasta Lake and the snow-cappe…
• Shasta Lake – California's largest reservoir, formed by damming several river valleys into nearly 600 kilometers of shoreline; famous as a houseboat holi…
• Lassen Volcanic National Park – A national park where four types of volcanoes come together; the main road links boiling mud pots, alpine lakes and volcanic peaks.
• Bumpass Hell – Lassen's largest geothermal area, where wooden boardwalks wind past boiling mud pools, steam vents and colourful sulphur pools.
• McArthur–Burney Falls – A 39-meter waterfall that Theodore Roosevelt called the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” with spring water seeping from the cliff face to form…
• Turtle Bay Exploration Park & McConnell Arboretum – A natural history museum, animal area and botanical garden on either side of the Sundial Bridge, suitable for a half-day family outing.
• Sacramento River Trail – A roughly 16 km loop along both banks of the Sacramento River, linking the Sundial Bridge and a concrete stress-ribbon footbridge on foot o…
• Cascade Theatre – A historic Art Deco-style theatre dating from 1935, whose neon sign is a nostalgic landmark of downtown Redding.
• Shasta State Historic Park – The brick ruins of Old Shasta, once the “Queen of the Northern Mines” during the Gold Rush, along with a museum in its old courthouse.
• Whiskeytown Lake (Whiskeytown NRA) – A clear mountain lake within the national recreation area on Redding's western edge. Brandy Creek Beach offers swimming, paddleboarding and…
• Whiskeytown Falls – A multi-tiered waterfall of about 67 m that was officially “rediscovered” only in 2004, reached by a 5.6 km round-trip forest trail.
• Lake Shasta Caverns – A limestone cave reached by ferry across Lake Shasta and then a bus up the mountain road, rich in stalactites and flowstone.
• Lassen Peak – At 3,187 m, one of the largest lava dome volcanoes in the world. An 8 km round-trip trail leads to the summit for views over the volcanic f…
• Manzanita Lake – A calm lake beside the park's north entrance that reflects Lassen Peak. The loop trail around it is about 2.6 km.
• Subway Cave – A lava tube formed about 20,000 years ago, which you can walk through for about 400 m of pitch-black tunnel with your own flashlight.
• Castle Crags State Park – A cluster of granite spires rising abruptly beside Interstate 5. Hiking trails bring you close to the rock towers, with views of Mount Shas…
• Mount Shasta – An isolated snow-capped peak at 4,322 m. Drive up to Bunny Flat for close-up views of its glaciers and summit.
• Weaverville Joss House – A Taoist temple built in 1874 by Chinese miners. The Joss House, or Yunlin Temple, is the oldest Chinese temple in California still in use.

Where to eat

• Jack's Grill – Opened in 1938 and Redding's oldest surviving restaurant, with a menu that has barely changed for decades and a reputat…
• Nello's Place Italian Restaurant – A family-run, old-school Italian dinner spot opened in 1982, known for its tableside Caesar salad and Steak Diane.
• Champa Garden Lao & Thai Restaurant – One of Redding's highest-rated Southeast Asian restaurants, serving authentic Lao and Thai dishes with adjustable spice…
• Damburger – An old-school smashburger shop with roots in a 1938 tent stand at the Shasta Dam construction site. It is affordable an…

Itineraries

• Northern California Redwoods Coast & Volcano Loop – Head north along Highway 1 to Mendocino and the Redwoods, then turn toward Redding and Lassen Volcanic before returning…