Things To Do In Redding, California

Maybe Redding doesn’t sound like anything to you. It’s certainly not the most famous site in California. But that doesn’t mean this upstate city isn’t worth a stop. It is a city that has its attractions and whose origins, in some way, tell us about the history of the pioneers who were shaping the western United States.

Some Redding history

For that reason, before telling you what things you can do during a trip to Redding we want to tell you a little about its history, so that you can understand its origins. The city is located north of the lands of California, further north of the state capital, Sacramento, and is washed by the waters of the river that bears the same name.

In short, that in the past many of the adventurers who went not only to the Californian Pacific coast, but also to the beautiful northernmost lands of Oregon, passed through this place. And not only they, the trappers of the Hudson Bay Company, the oldest Canadian company, also passed through here.

The fact is that, among all those people, one day a settler named Pierson B. Reading would arrive, who would end up getting a ranch in these places. You might think that the current name Redding has something to do with it. But no. It is actually due to Benjamin B. Redding, who decided to make a stop here for the spectacular Southern Pacific Railroad.

Redding today

Since those events in the late 1800s, much has changed the look of Redding. Although, it is true that the city continues to enjoy a natural and wooded environment of the most beautiful. In fact, that nature is the great protagonist of many of the things that can be done in Redding.

Sacramento River Trail

The axis around which the attractions in Redding revolve is the Sacramento River, the most important in the northern area of ​​California and which eventually empties into the San Francisco Bay. But long before that, stop by here. It is born a few kilometers north of Redding, in the so-called Cascade range.

Sundial Bridge

One of those attractions is the Sundial Bridge, designed by the Spanish Santiago Calatrava. A bridge that, despite its name, does not serve as a sundial. It is one more replica of the many similar bridges that this architect has built around the world, from Seville to Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park

More interesting is the visit to the Turtle Bay Exploration Park complex. There, a set of museums and natural spaces tell us about the close relationship that should exist between human beings and the environment.

In this complex there are science and natural history museums and, above all, a wonderful botanical garden by the river. California’s own plant species are present there. But plants have also been developed from as far away as Australia or Chile.

Camping in Redding

One of Redding’s favorite tourist activities is to hike up the Sacramento River to Whiskeytown Lake. But that outdoor activity has to be complemented by spending the night in the Paul Bunyan camping forest.

This site is more than just what its name tells us. It is a space with various activities and outdoor exhibitions to enjoy one of the landscapes and environments that evoke the adventures of the American pioneers.

Waterworks park

A very different character is the last of Redding’s attractions. We refer to its water park, where for decades the locals and their visitors have come to cool off on the hottest days of summer. Do not forget that we are in California and here the thermometer rises a lot during the summer. Something that is not an excuse to visit this territory.