Redding is the ideal base for an exploration of the Shasta Cascade, a pastoral mountain area about the size of Ireland, just three hours north of San Francisco.
The city, best known for its Sundial Bridge designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava, is also an adventure destination in itself, with more than 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, kayaking, and the latest local obsessions: peak-bagging (mountaineering to the peak of a collection of summits) and night hikes.
After a hearty breakfast of homemade chicken-fried steak at Corbett’s, fuel up with a third-wave espresso drink at Coffee Bar downtown before heading over to Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
Orient yourself at the Visitor Center, where you can chat up volunteer extraordinaire Bonnie, getting maps and advice to plan your time.
From here, mosey over to the park’s botanical gardens to see the environmental and sculpture installations.
Buy picnic food at the store on-site (and plenty of water), then drive 10 minutes up to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, where you can begin your peak-bagging experience or simply enjoy a single hike on Shasta Belly trail, a 6-mile round-trip moderate climb that peaks at 6,209 feet, allowing you to survey Mount Shasta, Castle Crags and the Trinity Alps.
Pick up a trail map to one — or all four — of the major waterfalls in the park, including the impressive 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.
Whichever outdoor path you choose, end up at Brandy Creek Beach (where there are lifeguards in the summer), or the less crowded East Beach, for a swim in the cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake, and lots of space to spread out and picnic.
The evening can take any number of directions, the most leisurely being a meal at Moonstone Bistro, a quiet spot with a locally driven, sustainably minded menu, micro-brewed beers and regional wines.
Or, once you’ve gotten a second wind, choose instead to have a quick Mexican dinner at El Rinconcito, in an inauspicious location behind a gas station, with homemade tortillas and the best carnitas for miles.
(Ask for the spicy salsa.) Once fortified, take an easy night hike, which affords you a moonlit experience of this laid-back mountain town.
An excellent night-hiking option is Lassen Peak Trail, just east of Redding in Lassen Volcanic National Park, where a 2½-mile easy climb (one way) leads you through an active (but dormant) volcanic landscape complete with sulfur-scented air.
If you happen to visit around the full moon, don’t miss hiking Black Butte at night, along a trail through a multi-peaked cluster of lava plug domes with sweeping views of Mount Shasta.
Hearty breakfasts (served all day) and lunch.
