Explore Natural Beauty in UpState CA

Bidwell Park

One of the largest municipal parks in the nation, Bidwell Park is an extraordinary landscape filled with swimming holes, trails and picnic areas. Families will find paved bike trails throughout the park and mountain bikers can test their skills on the many intertwined trails in the upper park.Bidwell Park is "divided" by Manzanita Avenue. The area east of Manzanita Avenue is referred to as Middle and Upper Park, while the area west of Manzanita is…

Bigfoot Scenic Byway

This scenic drive follows two nationally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers: the Klamath River and the North Fork of the Trinity River.  Both untamed waterways are known for their trophy sized steelhead and salmon, and thrilling whitewater rafting.  These rivers cut through the Siskiyou and Klamath mountains, which provide ideal habitat for wildlife such as elk, deer, black bears, river otters, bald eagles and peregrine falcons.  Hoopa, Yurok and Karuk Indian tribes have made their…

Black Butte Lake

Located southwest of Corning, the lake is seven miles long and has 40 miles of shoreline with three boat launch ramps. Visitors can enjoy picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, equestrian trails, and many other outdoor activities. Hunting restricted to shotguns and archery only (license required).Two campgrounds available: Buckhorn - 65 campsites, group campsite, open year-round. Showers, playground, nature trail, shoreline access, exercise area, sand volleyball, horseshoe pits, mountain bike trails, fish cleaning station,…

Castle Lake

The traditional trail to Heart Lake and Little Castle Lake leaves the east end of the parking area and ascends to the divide above the east side of the lake. The west shore of the lake is features a short trail with easy access to the water.This lake offers spectacular scenery and and is popular. Fishing is fair to good for various sizes of trout, particularly in May and June, but there are also the…

Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area

Chappie-Shasta is a treasure trove of OHV adventures, with over 200 miles of roads and trails running through this 55,000-acre site. It is managed cooperatively by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Uses include shooting, off-highway vehicle use, picnicking, hang gliding, swimming, horseback riding, and mountain bike riding, gold panning and hunting. Parts of this area are used for competitive events, mountain bike races, off-road motorcycle races, archery competition and related…

Clover Creek Preserve

Clover Creek Preserve is tucked in behind a neighborhood in east Redding, and offers paved, flat trails great for walking or cycling. Enjoy the 2 mile loop with your dog, your favorite people, or just the beautiful view of Redding's rolling hills, oaks, and expansive sky. Distance: 2.0 milesDifficulty: Easy

Darrah Springs Trout Hatchery

Springtime is the best time to visit Darrah Springs and the busiest time for stocking fish. Beginning in mid-April, Monday through Friday, trout are stocked into several waters of Northern California. This stocking of fish will continue until mid-October. Open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Directions: Near the town of Manton, on Highway 36; 10 miles east of Red Bluff to Dales Station, follow hatchery signs north on County Road A6 for 8 miles. Cross…

Dutch Flat Wildlife Area

Dutch Flat Wildlife Area was designated as a wildlife area by the Fish and Game Commission in 1994. It is 160 acres of riparian and stream habitat. Other vegetation types include grasslands and plant communities dominated by Jeffrey and ponderosa pines, juniper, and sagebrush.For more information, call the Northern Region Redding office at (530) 225-2300.

Feather River Nature Center

The bank of the Feather River below the Bath House was once the site of a Maidu fishing village. The river provided a bountiful supply of giant Chinook salmon and acorns were harvested from the groves of Blue Oaks. Gold was discovered in the Feather River in 1849 bringing a tent city of fortune hunters virtually overnight. The gold soon ran out and the miners left as quickly as they had appeared.As the need for…

Feather River Scenic Byway

The Feather River Scenic Byway follows the North Fork of the Feather River into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The route is one of California’s earliest routes over the Sierra’s, providing the lowest elevation highway crossing during major winter storms. The byway traverses the northern Sierra Nevada and ends near the Nevada border, making it unique in its botanical and cultural diversity.The byway begins in the Lake Oroville area of Butte County. Lake Oroville, created by…