Fun Things to Do in and Around Redding

While Redding might not be on your bucket list, it offers many fun and exciting activities, especially for those who enjoy the outdoors.

I was actually born in Redding, and although I didn’t grow up there, my grandparents lived there, and we’d visit often. Today, I’m very lucky to have my grandad around, and I visit him once or twice a year with my husband, son, and parents.

My son loves visiting his great-grandad and all the outdoorsy experiences that come with it, like riding on the ATV with my 97-year-old grandad, tractor rides with my dad, gathering firewood to keep the stove warm for the winter, feeding the cows apples, and going on adventures to see waterfalls and other fun places nearby.

As the city has grown over the years, we love trying out the new restaurants and breweries we discover whenever we visit. Now that my son is a little older, we’re also working our way through a lot of the bigger attractions the area has to offer.

Where the heck is Redding?

Redding is located on Interstate 5 in Northern California along the Sacramento River, a little over two hours north of Sacramento. It’s the largest city in Shasta County and offers something for everyone, especially those looking for outdoor recreational activities.

Although Redding has a small airport, we usually fly into Sacramento (SMF) and drive up the rest of the way. The flights are expensive, and the layovers and making connections can be challenging. When flying in from San Diego, the layovers can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Things to do

Sundial Bridge

The Sundial Bridge is one of the main attractions in the area and is located in the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Even if you’re driving past Redding, make sure you stop to check it out! It’s a great place to walk around and let your kids burn off some energy.

The bridge crosses the Sacramento River and is an actual sundial that tells time four hours daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s free to enter and walk around.

After crossing the bridge, there’s much to explore beneath it and along the Sacramento River. Beyond that, there are trails, botanical gardens, and the Turtle Bay Museum to wander through and much more. There’s a fee to enter the museum. Then, if you worked up an appetite, there are a couple of dining options in the park.

Coleman National Fish Hatchery 

My mom had the idea to visit the Coleman National Fish Hatchery when we were there during spring break, and it was an awesome place to check out.

It’s a little south of Redding in the Anderson area, and the drive there is beautiful. From Anderson, It took us about 25 minutes to get there.

We visited in late March, which is not ideal for seeing the Chinook Salmon, but we had the place to ourselves! The best time to visit is around October if you want to see the salmon run.

It’s easy to spend a couple of hours there walking through the buildings, fish production, fish production pond, and barrier weir along Battle Creek.

The hatchery is spread out, so it would be best to wear walking shoes. Then, if you feel like exploring Battle Creek more, there’s a 1.93-mile trail to check out.

Bringing a lunch is a good idea. There’s a picnic area and lots of green space for people to hang out and enjoy the scenery.

Burney Falls

This incredible hidden gem is located about 1.5 hours from Redding, and if you have the time, add Burney Falls to the top of your list.

This is a fantastic spot for kids and adults. The paved path down to the base is an easy walk, and you can continue onto the 1-mile loop around the waterfall and Burney Creek.

To find out more details about visiting this spectacular waterfall, hop over to my Burney Falls post.

Lake Shasta Caverns

The Lake Shasta Caverns are located in Lakehead, approximately 25 minutes from central Redding.

This spectacular two-hour tour offers a picturesque boat and bus ride, followed by a walking tour through an underground wonderland. You’ll admire the spectacular limestone formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and other strange and beautiful rock formations that have grown over millions of years.

Everything you need to know about this tour and additional pictures can be found in Exploring the Lake Shasta Caverns—A Must See!

They also offer dinner cruises around Shasta Lake.

More things to check out near Redding

Here are a few things left on our list that we can’t wait to check out on our future visits.

Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake is another big attraction. I’ve been there a couple of times years ago, but my husband and son haven’t. Hopefully, we can squeeze this into one of our next trips.

There are a bunch of activities to do, like swimming, hiking, boating, bicycling, camping, and fishing.

Hedge Creek Falls

Another spot I want to see is Hedge Creek Falls in Dunsmuir, about an hour north of Redding.

Where to stay

We’ve stayed at a few different hotels, and our favorite is the Fairfield Inn & Suites Redding. It was very quiet, the room was spacious, and they had evening happy hours with beer, wine, and appetizers Monday through Thursday.

In the morning, they offer the typical Marriott breakfast, which is okay but nice to have. Then, there’s also a deli and ice cream shop across the hotel’s driveway.

Places to eat and drink

Fall River Brewing Co.

We live in San Diego, where some of the best breweries exist, and I think Fall River Brewing Co. ranks up there as one of my favorites. If you love beer, you have to go here! They also have hard seltzers and canned mixed cocktails that are also yummy. We’ve only visited the taphouse, but they also have a brewery location.

The taphouse has pretzels to snack on, and you can also bring food in. There are a few food spots in the same shopping center.

The Bantam Kitchen

The Bantam Kitchen is a little spot off the beaten path with delicious burgers and food, a great beer selection, and excellent service. We tried this restaurant during our last visit and will dine there again next time.

Woody’s Brewing Company

Woody’s Brewing Company is on Oregon Street and is a great place to grab some tasty food and try some of their craft brews.

Puerto Vallarta Family Mexican Restaurant

Puerto Vallarta Family Mexican Restaurant on Hartnell Avenue is a fun and colorful restaurant. Their food and margaritas are great, and if you order an entree, you get a shot of tequila when you are done! Bottoms up!

Things to know ahead of time

In the summer, it can be blazing hot in Redding. It’s not uncommon for it to be over 100 degrees and sometimes get up to 115. We were stoked that it was only in the high 90s on our last July trip!

While on the subject of heat, the mountains near Redding are prone to wildfires. It’s something to watch when you get closer to visiting, especially during the summer. In July 2018, the devastating Carr fire started the night before we traveled to Redding. We ended up going, but the air that weekend was very smokey and unhealthy.

Now, let’s talk about winter. It gets cold! Not like Midwest cold, but the highs during this season can top out in the 40s and 50s and lows in the 20s. It can snow, but usually you will only experience rain. It snowed for a few minutes on a December trip one day, but that was all. Check the weather before you go, and layer up!

Next stop, Redding?!

Whether you’re just driving through or looking for a new place to visit, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your time in Redding.

Check out my Redding Recommendations Quick Guide for a summarized list of my recommendations.