Sundialed Summer

Summer Fun in Redding

Gather your favorite people and dial up the summer fun in Redding! There are span-tastic celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the iconic Sundial Bridge, a Fourth of July with one of California’s largest fireworks shows, and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area’s 42,000-acre wilderness park—offering ranger-guided kayak tours. Your summer in Redding is more than dialed, it’s Sundialed!

Sundial, Dance Style

Badaloop Redding

Look out, Cirque du Soleil, because globally acclaimed vertical dance company BANDALOOP is coming to California! In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Redding’s famous Sundial Bridge, BANDALOOP will perform four complimentary shows on June 28 and June 29.

The vertical dance company gives a fresh expression to the Great Artdoors, with creative choreography, and climbing technology for pivoting things sideways with perspective-bending performances.

Enjoy plenty of food and drinks at the festivities, including a special menu at Mosaic Restaurant, “Seven Days of Spain” honoring the Sundial’s designer, Santiago Calatrava.

GOAT Float!

Redding river rafting

You and your family, co-workers, or best pals will have a blast at the (in)famous Sundial Splash on June 29 in Redding. This fun river float race is super popular: people come from all over to join a huge float down the Sacramento River with the beautiful Sundial Bridge and surrounding mountains as part of the scenery.

Even if you’ve never paddled before, this event is still for you, thanks to the easygoing nature of the river route … with float vehicles of all kinds taking to the water—outriggers, tubes … whatever floats your boat!

When you register, simply choose your float: canoe, kayak, standup paddleboard, tandem craft, surf ski, or raft. Then embark on the 6-mile route from Riverfront Park to the South Bonneyview boat ramp.

It’s just you, your crew, and hundreds of other people celebrating Redding’s river culture.

Redding, White, and Blue

Redding really goes fourth it, hosting one of California’s largest fireworks celebrations as part of its Freedom Festival Fourth of July. This event includes a soundtrack to more than 1,700 shells produced by Pyro Spectacular. Karl the Fog will not be attending!

Bring your crew of “Little Sparklers” to start the Fourth off at 8 a.m. with the Signarama Firecracker 5K at beautiful Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Young kids can do the 0.25-mile run/walk and shortly after there’s a 4.4K (time adjusted) fun run, walk, or stroll, with music, a mimosa bar, and full pancake breakfast.

Whiskeytown You Were Here!

Quench your group’s thirst for adventure at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Located a mere 8 miles west of Redding, Whiskeytown is a 42,000-acre wilderness park, and it’s filled to the brim with plenty of ways to keep your cool. Enjoy hiking trails to four waterfalls, multiple sandy beaches and swim areas, plus complimentary ranger-guided paddle and standup board tours. Get in a tandem kayak and head out to see tranquil coves and more with an interpretive park ranger.

If you’re new to paddle boarding, the ranger-guided tours are ideal for learning the basics while taking in mountainous scenery, and spotting wildlife you don’t get to see in the city. While there’s no charge for the ranger-guided tours you do have to reserve a spot!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View