Discover Redding

Redding combines striking landmarks with the Sacramento River and an extensive network of trails. The Cascade Theatre showcases Art Deco architecture; the Sundial Bridge is both a pedestrian bridge and a public art installation. At Turtle Bay Exploration Park, exhibitions, wildlife, and botanical gardens come together. This gives you different ways to discover the city, from architecture and regional culture to walks and nature watching.

Architecture and Landmarks in Redding

The Cascade Theatre is an outstanding example of Art Deco architecture. It opened on August 9, 1935. This date gives the building a specific historical context; its architectural style also makes it a prominent cultural attraction in the city.

The Sundial Bridge is a very different kind of structure. In Redding, it spans the Sacramento River and connects the northern and southern areas of Turtle Bay Exploration Park. In addition to serving as a pedestrian bridge, it is a public art installation. It is also remarkable as a sundial: it works and is one of the largest sundials in the world. A river crossing, art, and timekeeping come together in this landmark.

Turtle Bay: Museum, Wildlife, and Gardens

The nonprofit Turtle Bay Exploration Park spans 300 acres and is designed as a gathering place. Its attractions include the Sundial Bridge, a museum, a forestry and wildlife center, an arboretum, and botanical gardens. This variety makes the park a destination in its own right for visitors who want to experience nature and culture in one place.

The Turtle Bay Museum combines permanent exhibitions about the region with rotating exhibitions from around the world. The permanent exhibitions focus on the region, while the rotating exhibitions cover an international range of topics. Visitors to the park can also see more than 64 animal species, many of them native to Northern California.

Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp complements these attractions with an educational center modeled on a historic logging camp. The area includes playgrounds, animal exhibits, and the Mill Building. The gardens offer a different highlight: the 10-acre McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is home to a diverse range of plants native to Mediterranean climates. Within the larger park, the gardens offer a different focus from the museum and animal exhibits.

Trails along the Sacramento River and in Redding

The paved Sacramento River Trail is a National Recreation Trail in Redding. It is used for walking, hiking, cycling, and horseback riding, and runs for 17 miles along the river. Its loops pass through scenic landscapes and offer glimpses of local birdlife. The trail connects several ways to explore the area with a clear focus on the river and surrounding nature.

When planning, it helps to distinguish the individual river trail from the wider selection of trails. The Sacramento River Trail is 17 miles long; within a 15-mile radius of downtown, Redding has a total of 225 miles of trails. The second figure therefore covers a larger area. If you want to include hiking, cycling, or nature watching in your trip, these two figures represent different scales: a named route along the river and the full selection of trails within the stated radius.

Practical Information

Parking for Turtle Bay Exploration Park is available in the Sundial Bridge parking lot. As parking rules can change, check the current parking situation before your visit.

You can explore the city through a range of different interests: the Cascade Theatre showcases Art Deco architecture, Turtle Bay combines exhibitions, wildlife, and gardens, and the Sacramento River Trail focuses on outdoor activity and the river landscape. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you’d most like to discover Redding through its culture, nature, or trails.

Discover more destinations: Fall River Mills, Burney, Lakehead-Lakeshore, Shasta Lake, Anderson.

For the main travel overview: Shasta.