Water You Up to this Summer?

Redding Summer Water Adventures

Ready to give summer a big, wet kiss? Pucker up! Redding is your summer sweetheart! It’s not just about going to the lake here: It’s about multiple lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, all within 20 minutes of Redding. Thanks to a wet winter, Whiskeytown Lake is filled to the brim and Shasta Lake is not far behind. Go river rafting with a variety of options, including paddle trips with the kids on the Lower Sac or adrenaline-teasing spins down the wilder Trinity River. Either way, you’ll get an eyeful, with views of Mount Shasta, Lassen Peak, and the Cascade Range.

Or, take your H2O adventure to new heights—like sky high!—with Jetovator rides right off the dock. Then take it easy on a sunset stand-up paddle across a mountain lake or with a picnic by a waterfall; Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has four—including gorgeous Crystal Creek Falls. Of course, there’s always the uber-famous Burney Falls, consistently named one of the most beautiful in the entire USA.

Also making a splash: Redding’s affordable summer rates in hotels, B&Bs, and resorts. So, water you up to this summer? Redding for that big, wet kiss?!

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  1. 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!

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  2. 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.

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  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

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  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

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  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.

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  2. 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).

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  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

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  4. 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.

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