The City of Redding, in Shasta County, California, and its surrounding area has numerous outdoor and indoor activities, including two lakes and an inactive volcano within close driving distance. The area offers many parks, hiking trails, and adequate shopping.

Redding is a medium-sized city, and the second largest north of Sacramento after Chico. It is also the county seat and lies along the Sacramento River, an important waterway that provides 35 percent of the state's water. It is the last major city between the start of cascade mountain range slightly north and the Oregon border.

Understand

History

Redding was founded as Poverty Flats in 1868 during the gold rush, by a former Sacramento mayor named Benjamin Bernard Redding. He built property in the area so that the Central Pacific Railroad could build a train terminal there. While building the terminal they built the city in the same area, naming it Redding after Benjamin Redding.

Since then the town has gone through various periods of rapid growth, followed by slow downs and then more growth. In the early 20th century Redding had a thriving copper and iron extraction industry. However the town struggled in the twenties with the decline of the mining sector. It came back in the 1930s though and boomed in the 1940s due to the construction of Shasta Dam, which caused the population to nearly double. In the 1950s, the area stayed prosperous thanks to the growing lumber industry and tourism that the dam brought. Interstate 5 was built during the 1960s and 1970s. Further helping the surrounding areas economy.

Redding started to decline again in the early 1980s because of the stricter logging regulations put in place by the federal government that essentially crippled the logging industry. The town continued a slow decline throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

It has had a slight economic resurgence due to increased business from people visiting the megachurch there.

Redding
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       6     55 37       5.5     60 39       4.4     65 43       2.5     71 46       1.9     81 54       0.7     90 62       0.1     98 66       0.2     97 63       0.6     90 58       2.1     78 49       4.5     63 41       6.3     55 36 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches    Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       152     13 3       140     16 4       112     18 6       64     22 8       48     27 12       18     32 17       2.5     37 19       5.1     36 17       15     32 14       53     26 9       114     17 5       160     13 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Get in

By road

Interstate 5 is the main north-south road through Redding, going as far north as Blaine, Washington (near Bellingham) to San Ysidro, California (a community of San Diego).

Highway 299 is Redding's main link to the coast (namely Arcata) and to northeastern California (Modoc County). It is, however, one of the less-traveled roads because it is very narrow with very sharp curves much of the way.

Highway 44 is the main road to Lassen Volcanic National Park, stretching from Redding in the west to Highway 89 in the east. Many Redding locals go to Lassen National Park using this road in the summer, so that's when it is most crowded. Other times, parts of it are closed due to snow.

By train

Amtrak makes a once-daily stop in Redding at the 1 Redding Station (RABA Station) which is next to the bus terminal at 1620 Yuba St with the following:

• Amtrak Coast Starlight makes an once daily trip in each direction between Seattle and Los Angeles, serving Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, etc. Trains arrive in the middle of the night. The southbound train arrives at 2:21AM and the northbound at 3:06AM, but delays are quite common too. There are no ticketing or baggage handling services at this location.
• Amtrak Thruway Motor Coach Rt #3. Connects Redding (via Red Bluff, Chico, Oroville, Marysville, Davis, etc) to the Amtrak San Joaquins and Capitol Corridor trains in Sacramento and only the San Joaquins Train in Stockton. Tickets on this bus are only available for connections to Amtrak trains. Thruway buses stop at the RABA Transit Center at 1530 Yuba St on the opposite side of the tracks from Redding Station (see below). (updated Aug 2017)

By bus

2 RABA Transportation Terminal, is Redding's central bus station for the local city buses (RABA) and other bus lines. The station is at 1530 Yuba St next to the Amtrak Station. It is served by:

• Greyhound, 1530 Yuba St, ☏ +1 530 241-2070, toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Greyhound travels primarily on Interstate 5 between Portland and Sacramento via Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford, Weed, Redding, Chico, Oroville, and/or Marysville. Passengers transfer buses in Portland, Sacramento, Eugene-Springfield, Medford or Los Angeles to reach additional destinations. Some of the buses are direct between Redding and Sacramento. Check schedules. (updated Dec 2016)
• Sage Stage, (base address) 111 W North St; Alturas, California (picks up at the downtown RABA Transportation Terminal.), ☏ +1 530 233-6410. Connects Alturas to Klamath Falls, Redding, Susanville, and Reno on multiple routes. It may be a shorter way to connect to Klamath Falls and Reno from Redding. Schedules are limited so be sure of the departure and connection times before using this option as they only operate once on Tuesdays to/from Redding. (updated Aug 2015)
• Susanville Indian Rancheria Public Transportation Program (SIR), ☏ +1 530 257-1128. Connects Susanville to Chester, Red Bluff and Redding. Passengers connect in Susanville to Lassen (County) Rural Bus to continue to other towns in Lassen County or to another SIR or Sage Stage bus (see above) to continue towards Reno from Susanville. Schedules are limited so be sure of the departure and connection times before using this option especially if going to Reno. (updated Aug 2017)
• Trinity Transit. Connects Redding to Weaverville and Willow Creek (in Trinity County). If you need public transportation to these towns, this is where you go. Willow Creek is also served by Redwood Transit System, which goes all the way to Arcata in Humboldt County from Willow Creek. To go one way from Arcata to Redding (or the other way) it costs $24.35 ($4.35 from Arcata to Willow Creek, $10 from Willow Creek to Weaverville, and another $10 from Weaverville to Redding). You can ask driver to confirm the fare for each segment. Schedules are limited so be sure of the departure and connection times before using this option. Passengers transfer buses in Arcata to continue to McKinleyville, Eureka, Crescent City or anywhere along the US-Hwy 101 corridor by the coast. (updated Aug 2017)

By plane

• 3 Redding Municipal Airport (RDD  ^IATA), 6751 Woodrum Circle (on the very outskirts of town at Airport Rd and Knighton Rd; it is 2 mi (3.2 km) east of the Knighton Rd exit at I-5 (Exit #673) which is 5 mi (8.0 km) south of the main Redding exit (Hwy 44 at Exit #678)). It is the only commercial airport in Redding. Redding is connected to Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport by Skywest Airlines dba United Express (which is the only carrier). The airport also features a Chinese restaurant on the second floor (Peter Chu's Skyroom). (updated Apr 2020)

The next nearest airports for commercial flights with additional airlines are in Medford (MFR ^IATA) located 152 mi (245 km) to the north, and in Sacramento (SMF ^IATA) located 154 mi (248 km) to the south. Both are directly accessed from the I-5 corridor.

Get around

By bus

RABA (Redding Area Bus Authority) is the city bus line in Redding. It also has routes that go to Burney and Anderson. Their central terminal is at 1530 Yuba Street which is also is the place to catch the Amtrak bus and the Greyhound (see "By bus" in the above under "Get In").

By bicycle

Drivers generally cooperate with bicyclists on major roads, but that rule changes dramatically with smaller, less-traveled roads. Other than that, follow the same guidelines on a bicycle as you would in any other city.

By taxi

• ABC Cab, ☏ +1 530 246-0577. 
• Redding Yellow Cab, ☏ +1 530 222-1234. 

See

The Sundial Bridge

• 1 Turtle Bay Exploration Park, 844 Sundial Bridge Dr, ☏ +1 530 243-8850, toll-free: +1-800-887-8532, info@turtlebay.org. M-Sa 9AM - 5PM; Su 10AM - 5PM. Turtle Bay Exploration Park, located along the banks of the Sacramento River, contains a museum and 20-acre (81,000 m²) gardens. The campus features permanent and changing exhibitions highlighting art, history, horticulture, forestry, and natural science. Adults (16+): $16, children (4-15): $12, with senior discount (64+): $12, children 3 and under: free.  
• 2 Sculpture Gardens at City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave. Sculpture garden featuring pieces by artists from Redding. Free. 
• 3 Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2850 Foothill Blvd. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A bit tucked away, but worth seeing if you're into architecture. Free.  
• 4 Sundial Bridge. In 2004, the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay was completed. The dramatic pedestrian span was designed by the noted Spanish architect-engineer-artist Santiago Calatrava and links the north and south campuses of the 300-acre (1.2-km²) Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The pylon holds up the bridge support cables and also acts as a sundial (which is accurate only on the summer solstice—June 21 or 22). (updated Sep 2017)

Do

• 1 Sacramento River Trail. A loop trail that starts at the base of the Dieselhorst Bridge, then goes almost to Keswick Dam, crosses a bridge, and goes back. One of the more well-known trails in Redding. 
• 2 Waterworks Park, 151 N. Boulder Dr, ☏ +1 530 246-9550. M W-Sa 10AM - 6PM; Tu 10AM - 10PM; Su 10AM - 8PM. A children's aqua park in Redding. Under 48 inches tall: $15.95, taller than 48 inches: $19.95, children (0-2): free, seniors (63+): $5.  
• 3 Shasta Lanes, 11093 Black Marble Way, ☏ +1 530 244-5773. M noon - 11PM, Tu-Sa noon - midnight, Su 10AM - 11PM. A bowling alley. Good place to meet locals. $3.95 a game per person per game, plus $3 shoe rental per person (prices are for open play). 
• 4 Cascade Theatre, 1731 Market St, ☏ +1 530 243-8877, toll-free: +1-877-646-4849. Restored historic theater now hosting concerts, performances, and plays.  

Events

• The Sundial Film Festival (Yearly). The Sundial Film Festival is Redding's annual film festival, and awards professional and novice film makers and photographers. Two programs are shown each year; student, animated and assorted films are in the afternoon and the premier films along with photography awards in the evening show (updated Sep 2017)
• The Redding Rodeo (May). (updated Sep 2017)
• Lemurian Shasta Classic (April). The Lemurian Shasta Classic Mountain Bike Race takes place the last weekend of April, includes a long course, intermediate course and short course in the gnarly terrain west of Redding (updated Sep 2017)
• Whole Earth Watershed Festival (March). The Whole Earth Watershed Festival is a day of events focused on the environment, offering vendors, performances and live music and educational opportunities for the entire family. Recycling education, fun-run and farmer's market, are just a few of the additional opportunities the festival offers (updated Sep 2017)
• Redding Beer Week (August). Redding Beer Week is an annual celebration of local beers. The event begins with an opening ceremony and beer tasting followed by a week of more than 30 events hosted by local vendors, the closing ceremonies are full of more beer food and live music. (updated Sep 2017)
• Freedom Festival (July 4th). The Fourth of July Freedom Festival takes place at the Redding Civic Center and includes a family friendly day of picnics, food vendors, live entertainment and a large fireworks display set to patriotic music. (updated Sep 2017)
• Kool April Nites (April). Kool April Nites boasts more than 25 years of classic car excitement. This week-long event attracts participants from all over the country and is full of show and shines, The Friday Nite Cruise, music, dances and the car show at the civic center. (updated Sep 2017)
• Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour (Yearly). Banff Mountain Film Festival highlights outdoor adventure and sports and as part of the international world tour and the Redding event showcases local outdoor sports with a Banff Street Fair on the demonstration block in front of the Cascade Theatre and spotlights local vendors and experts in outdoor fun. (updated Sep 2017)

Buy

There are many places to shop in Redding, including big-box retail outlets and specialized local stores. The Mt. Shasta Mall and the area around it are great places if you want large department stores, whereas downtown Redding, the Masonic area, and Enterprise all have smaller unique shops, including bookstores, secondhand stores, gift shops and boutiques.

• 1 Mt. Shasta Mall, 900 Dana Dr, ☏ +1 530 223-3575, fax: +1 530 223-2793, dpattison@mtshastamall.com. 

Eat

• 1 Fat Daddy's Gourmet BBQ, 942 Hartnell Ave, ☏ +1 530 221-6270. (updated Nov 2018)
• 2 Jack's Grill, 1743 California St, ☏ +1 530 241-9705. It looks pretty shabby on the outside, but the food and service are nothing short of amazing. Be sure to have plenty of the salad: it's also very good. Scallops are wonderful as well, but the main attraction is the steak. (updated Nov 2018)
• 3 Karline's Restaurant & Bar, 1100 Center St, ☏ +1 530 244-7663. A nice Italian place with good food. (updated Nov 2018)
• 4 Fratelli's Pizza Parlor, 1774 California St, ☏ +1 530 244-4121. (updated Nov 2018)
• 5 Black Bear Diner, 2605 Hilltop Dr, ☏ +1 530 221-7600. (updated Nov 2018)
• 6 Damburger, 1320 Placer St., ☏ +1 530 241-0136. (updated Nov 2018)
• 7 Lim's Cafe Chinese and American Food, 592 N Market St, ☏ +1 530 241-9747. 7AM-9PM. (updated Apr 2019)

Sleep

Budget

• Motel 6. 
  • 1 Motel 6 Redding Central, 1640 Hilltop Dr, ☏ +1 530 221-1800, fax: +1 530 221-6175. 
  • 2 Motel 6 Redding North, 1250 Twin View Blvd, ☏ +1 530 246-4470, fax: +1 530 246-4268. 
  • 3 Motel 6 Redding South, 2385 Bechelli Ln, ☏ +1 530 221-0562, fax: +1 530 222-0458. 

Mid-range

• 4 Best Western Hilltop Inn, 2300 Hilltop Dr, ☏ +1 530 221-6100, toll-free: +1-800-336-4880, fax: +1 530 221-2867. 
• 5 Holiday Inn, 1900 Hilltop Dr, ☏ +1 530 221-7500. 
• 6 Oxford Suites Redding, 1967 Hilltop Dr, ☏ +1 530 221-0100. 
• 7 Comfort Inn Redding, 850 Mistletoe Ln, ☏ +1 530 221-4472. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 

Stay safe

Like many midsize American towns, Redding is fairly safe overall as long as you plan properly and take the same precautions everyone should while traveling in a new place. Although there are no truly unsafe places In Redding, care should still be taken when visiting certain areas of town. For instance, the South Market Street area, including South City Park and The Shasta County Library can be problematic depending. There are also sort of bad areas by Enterprise School. Again though, they are not any more unsafe than comparable lower income neighborhoods in other midsize cities.

Go next

• Shasta - approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) west of downtown Redding on Highway 299, Shasta is a Gold Rush-era ghost town, that features an admission free courthouse museum, ruins of several brick buildings, 19th-century cemeteries, short trails, a picnic area, and occasional living history demonstrations.

Routes through Redding

Medford ← Shasta Lake ←	N  S	→ Anderson → Sacramento
Arcata ← French Gulch ←	W  E	→ Round Mountain → Alturas