Fall Hard for Redding

Redding 2015 Fall Adventures

School's back in, the summer crowds are gone … who's ready for a fall getaway?! With 225+ miles of hiking trails and premier national parks, Redding is your year-round go-to for adventures. Here are a few fantastic ways to get you going.

Volcanic Hot Springs: What is this—California's Yellowstone? Yes! Less than an hour from Redding, Lassen Volcanic National Park is filled with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. The best way to see this incredible thermal activity is by hiking Bumpass Hell. Scary name aside, this 3-mile (round-trip) hike is easy and spectacular, featuring the geothermal features of steam vents, mud pots, and hot springs. Tip: Combine this outing with a 5-mile round-trip hike on the newly restored Lassen Peak Trail. Vistas up top offer the best perspective of the area's volcanic activity.

Waterfall Wanders: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, just 15 minutes from Redding, is a cascade haven for hikers. A bonus? Hiking here in autumn means plenty of fall colors, thanks to the bigleaf maple, Pacific dogwood, and California black oaks studding the park. The tallest waterfall, Whiskeytown Falls (220 ft.) is reached on its namesake trail with gorgeous views of Crystal Lake. And don't miss the beautiful Brandy Creek Falls, where afterwards you can enjoy a picnic on the beach or under the towering pines and cedars. Keep an eye out for America's national bird: Whiskeytown is home to four nesting pairs of bald eagles.

Stay, Play, Eat: Located in the heart of hiking and biking trails, stunning mountain scenery, and with a river running right through it, Redding offers fabulous dining and a variety of lodging for visitors.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View
  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View
  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View
  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View