Visitors to Redding marvel at the physical beauty of its setting, surrounded by mountains, lakes and rivers. It sits in the heart of Shasta County, the geographic center of California’s eight-county Shasta Cascade region. The City of Redding is the perfect jumping off point for exploring the wonders that surround it, and, as the largest city in the northern third of the Golden State, has plenty to offer in its own right. Like it sunny? Redding enjoys an average of 320 days a year of sunshine, more than a month more than Los Angeles.
Redding sprawls out from the crossroads of I-5 (north-south) and Hwy 299 (east-west). With a metropolitan area population of more than 175,000, Redding offers all the amenities of a modern California city. A variety of restaurants, dozens of first class accommodations and a host of other businesses make Redding bustle with life. It has a robust nightlife. Major performers are often in town for concerts at the Civic Center, Cascade Theatre, the Anderson Fairgrounds, or one of the local casinos. Community theatre and movies are first rate. Shopping opportunities abound in Redding. The city also offers tons of fun activities for families and kids.
The city’s Sundial Bridge, a stunning architectural landmark and working sundial (for several hours a day, anyway), serves as a pedestrian walkway that leads to the ever-expanding 300-acre Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The city is also home to the Sacramento River Trail, a great place to take a walk or ride a bike, and one that also provides an educational stroll through Redding’s history. Along its almost 4-mile length (out of a total of well over 200 miles of walking and bicycling trails in Redding), point-of-interest markers reveal fascinating details about the journeys of the pioneers, mountain men and gold miners who traveled it.
Redding was founded by miners during the 19th century, but played second fiddle to nearby Shasta City until the railroad came through and built its terminus in Redding in 1872. Railroad baron and former California governor Leland Stanford explained that Shasta was “3 miles too far west with 400 ft. too much altitude” to be selected for the train station. Shasta City became a fascinating ghost town and California state park, but Redding flourished and today is bursting with life. After the Gold Rush subsided, Redding’s main industry became lumber. Currently, Redding’s two biggest industries are the medical and legal fields.
MORE INFO: VisitRedding.org