While driving through Sundial Bridge Dr, I saw a sign that says "Monolith". I had no idea what it…read moreis. We made a stop to check it out. It is located next to Sheraton hotel. Remains of Shasta Dam that was converted into art pieces. Learned a bit about the history of Redding during this quick stop. Free to explore and browse. Free parking as well.

This is an amazing landmark and art piece that's on the grounds of the Sheraton Redding Hotel at…read morethe Sundial Bridge. It's basically an old aggregate plant that took stones from the Sacramento River and used a miles-long conveyor belt to send them to be used in the construction of the Shasta Dam. It's a very cool piece of history that easily flies under the radar.

Dog-Friendly Adventure!…read more Lake Shasta Caverns was the perfect stop on our road trip from Portland to San Francisco! We were thrilled to discover it's dog-friendly and our pup loved every minute of it. The location is ideal for a midway break, and late May weather was absolutely beautiful. We arrived 30 minutes early and found parking easily. The gift shop kept us entertained while we waited, and the boat ride across the lake set the perfect tone for what was to come. But the real star? The caverns themselves. The natural beauty and the opportunity to explore with my dog made this feel truly special. Fair WARNING: you will get your steps in! The climb to the cathedral room is steep, and my partner and I, who are gym-goers with an active dog, definitely felt it. That said, the views (and the bats!) absolutely make it worth it. I noticed some older visitors and those recovering from knee surgery opted out, and a few families with small children were cautious on the descent, so know what you're signing up for. The walk back down requires careful footing so please take your time and watch your step. The tour guide wasn't as polished as I'd hoped and leaned a bit too playful for our taste, but honestly? You're paying for the scenery, not the commentary. And yes, it's pricey, but it genuinely feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Overall, worth every penny and every step. Highly recommend!

The staff is very nice. The reason only one star is that I don't think they properly warn about how…read morephysically challenging this tour is. Warning: If you are not in excellent and athletic condition, you should not go on this tour. There are hundreds of wet steep stairs in the caves. Then the long steep hike back up to the gift shop and your vehicle is torturous. Older people or people who have any physical limitations should rethink this tour.

The views are amazing and anxiety imposing!…read more You can walk out onto the dam and looking either way, the views are spectacular. To your one side, amazing anxiety driving views where even if you're not afraid of heights, you'll start breathing heavy. Then, on the other side, spectacular views of lake Shasta with imposing mountains in the backdrop. Connected to a cool visitor station, this is worth the drive to visit if you're around the area.

After exploring Lake Shasta Cavern, we stopped by to check out Shasta Dam. Free to park and visit…read more There is a visitor center. Inside the visitor center, there is a restroom :) You can see Mount Shasta from a distance. What a view! Looking down from the dam was really scary. Do so at your own risk. I had to hold my phone very steady to snap a photo from above. I am afraid of heights but the dam did look nice from the top center of the dam. A nice stroll from end to end.

I've been to where lava flows were before but never have I walked/climbed through where lava tubes…read moreactually are before. This was definitely an experience if you haven't done it! $15.00-25.00 to bring your horse, bicycle, motorcycle cycle, car or RV into the park. Doesn't matter how warm outside as the caves are cool to freezing with ice depending on which cave and how far down it goes. Headlamps/flashlights are needed but headlamps easiest so you can use both your hands. The fantastic Park Rangers will not only give you expert advice on what caves are best suited for you but the history about this amazing park. Skull Cave before you get to the visitors center was my first cave. After descending the short rock staircase then a rock floor then to a metal landing and down the metal staircase lower and lower into the cold dark earth. At the bottom is a Skull, bones and ice. The hand rails were freezing. Wish I would have brought my gloves. The visitors center can help with what caves are where and offer helmets, flashlights and other needs via borrow, rent or buy. Closed shoes, knee pads, etc for tight caves recommended. The others I tried weren't near that cold but still really incredible in different ways. To see all the melting of rock and burn scars through these tubes is spectacular. Our earth is alive and so amazing. There are some bathrooms at some of the sites but not all so take advantage. Also, make sure to wear clothing you've never worn in other caves. Transfer of biologicals is real and could very negatively effect the bats in here. An awe experience and I highly recommend it. Some spaces also might be a bit small in case you're claustrophobic. Many are not tight but pitch black. Better than any Halloween haunted house with the creep jumping out at you. A park experience not to miss!

One of the most underrated national parks in the country. You owe it to yourself to visit Lava…read more Beds National Monument at least once in your life! There are many lava tubes that are for all difficulties and they are all mostly along the road loop around the park or a short trail walk away. Some are easy to walk through upright all the way to those you have to crawl through requiring gear. Certain tubes can be closed seasonally to protect the bats that both migrate and hibernate there, so be sure to check with the park before you go if there is a specific one you would like to visit. The campgrounds are first come first serve except for the large group sites that can be reserved online, and the restrooms are decently kept with water refill stations outside. Overall a great experience, would highly recommend!

We came Saturday morning around 8:30am. We were greeted with a warm welcome from the gate staff…read more Parking is $10. There is a parking lot, which can be limited when the weather is warmer. In the beginning of the trail, there is a General Store and restroom. The restroom is an actual restroom with toilet and sink. Not a portable potty! The trail to Burney Falls was easy. Different parts of the trail, there is a different view of the fall. The view from bottom of the fall was breathtaking. Be very careful if you want to get close to the fall. The rocks can be very slippery. We went off season so the crowds were not as bad as expected. If visiting Friday-Sunday or during the holidays, reservations are required. This is something new that they implemented on May 15, 2026. Check out their website for more information. Plan accordingly and enjoy the hiking adventures!

My family and I were booked to stay at one of their cabins (cabin #68) this past weekend and it was…read morea complete nightmare. We found bed bugs everywhere! We did not sleep the night we got there as we were trying to scramble to find another place to stay at. We ended up staying in our vehicle and contacted the manager to report the infestation. The manager claimed that they've done their due diligence to keep their cabins sanitized, but if you refer to the photos and videos I posted that is a complete LIE! Instead of enjoying our vacation, we ended up having to go to a local laundry mat to clean our clothes. Not to mention upon coming home my nephew finds a bed bug on one of his bags. Can you imagine the hell we've been through? It's terrible! To top it off, my niece's friend gets rushed to the ER yesterday due to these bed bugs biting her all over her body. She was sent home with topical and oral medication. Refer to the photos! I'm severely disappointed with the lack of accountability of the manager and its property. My sister tried speaking to a staff member today to follow up and she hung up on my sister after claiming someone would call her today to get this settled. We are planning to file a complaint and a report to the local health department. We are concerned that other people may encounter the same problem. Please beware!

DIRECTIONS: Don't rely on your GPS to guide you here. I plugged Pluto's Cave into Google Maps and…read moreit led us down all these eerie gravel roads (there were private properties along the way but we couldn't figure out if they were residential or commercial; didn't see any humans). It was uncomfortable. In the end, it led us to the wrong side of the cave. You are better off looking at Google Maps and just following it manually. It clearly shows where the road to the trailhead is. You take A12 and then you'll see a small sign for Pluto's Cave where you turn onto 43N30. That'll take you to the trailhead. If you want something to plug into the GPS, use Juniper Flat OHV Area which is less than a mile away. Once you make that turn from A12, you'll see an official sign for Pluto's Cave. The parking area wasn't really much but there was only one other car so we managed to squeeze in. OTHER TIPS: ~Bring at least two sources of light. One back-up is generally recommended so you have something else in case your primary source of light dies. In my experience here, I'd recommend bringing a headlamp (mine was garbage so try to get a good one) as well as a flashlight. The thing is, there are some areas in the cave where you have to climb boulders and the terrain isn't flat. Your headlamp isn't lighting up the area where you are stepping unless you look down. Then it won't light up the area in front of you. Ideally, you'd want to use the headlamp to illuminate the space in front of you and point the flashlight at your feet. This may be a major DUH to regular cave explorers but this was my first cave. At the start of the cave area, you actually have some light where the ceiling has collapsed. It almost looks like a small cave but you want to keep moving forward as the cave continues. Eventually though, you reach an area with boulders that you climb to look around the bend. After that, it's DARKNESS. Not sure how far the cave actually continues....eek. I didn't want to risk it with poor/minimal lighting so I didn't go any further. ~Good shoes, obviously. ~Be aware that there are bats in here. Leave them alone. They shouldn't bother you. Don't bother them. This is their home. Also, they carry diseases. ~The trail from the trailhead to the cave is short but not well marked. Beware of rattlesnakes, per the sign. Overall, this is a pretty cool experience but spooky as heck. At least for me. There is a lot of graffiti on the walls which doesn't help. I went with my boyfriend and we didn't see any other people until we were headed back and already out of the cave. If I were to go back, I'd prefer to do it with a larger group.

I would not consider putting Pluto's cave on your bucket list, but if you are in the area it is a…read morecool place to check out. It is not really a place you want to take the kids, more like a place for people with no children that want to experience a spooky experience. The caves are definitely filled with human negative energy. We did not stay long, we just checked them out from a distance, but did not go actually in to the deeper section. This is more like for a group of 3 or more.

Mount Shasta is an incredibly beautiful mountain and volcano. If your driving between Seattle and…read moreLos Angeles you can't miss it from the highway. There are probably a couple different cities that you can enjoy Mount Shasta from but my favorite city is Weed. They have hotels and gift shops and is a cute little town with everything you need. There are two exits for Weed off the highway. One exit is the 'old town' part that is more cute and the other exit is the newer part. I think staying a night here is a perfect thing to do as the scenery is so pleasant. It really is a destination. So often to see natural beauty like this you have to sacrifice comforts of city living. Not with Mount Shasta - its a town that has it all and is just steps away from a little nature walk with an incredible backdrop. It is a real sight to see when you have this regular old Shell Gas station or even Grocery Outlet where the backdrop is the volcano. I don't think you can ever get tired of the harmony here of man made combined with nature.

Incredible volcano and mountain…read more Really recommend spending some time around the nature in this area, even if you won't be committing a summit climb. I went up this past weekend with the attempt to summit Shasta and had a really nice time. The town of Mt. Shasta has a few restaurants and some decent accomodations for sleeping (slept in Loge with our group which was great)... As for the hike, we went up and started at Bunny Flats and camped at Helen Lake for the night and then going for the summit via the Avalanche Gulch route. It was a beautiful and trying hike...definitely be familiar with the risks and have the proper skills to manage them if attempting. All in all; Mount Shasta is majestic and magical. Spend some time here!

A beautiful stop in Redding and definitely worth visiting if you're passing through the area. The…read morebridge itself is very unique and photogenic, and the surrounding river views make it even better. It's an easy place to visit without needing a lot of time or hiking. We stopped here during a road trip and really enjoyed walking across the bridge, taking some photos, and enjoying the scenery. A great quick stop to stretch your legs!

I have known about the Sundial Bridge for a very long time but never took the opportunity to check…read moreit out. My boyfriend and I wanted to do a little getaway to celebrate our anniversary. We decided on Redding since I have never been there. We wanted to check out the Sundial Bridge during daytime and nighttime. Very cool and beautiful bridge. The walkway is made of glass panels. Nighttime, the bridge lights up. Easy pathway to walk through. The bridge crosses over the Sacramento River. Plenty of parking. No parking fee. No admission fee to walk across the bridge.

I can't recommend this hike enough. Mossbrea Falls is beyond beautiful. Almost like stepping into a…read morefantasy novel. The walk along the railroad tracks was fine. I felt there was plenty of space on the side to safely walk through. I passed several Union Pacific employees and received nothing by waves. No one seemed to mind. If you're in the area, Mossbrea Falls should be at the top of your list of trails to hike. You must see it for yourself.

We visited Mossbrae Falls on October 8, 2026. It is a long walk along a very rocky path close to…read morethe Union Pacific railroad tracks, so wear sturdy shoes. The train went by us and it is verrrry long! It probably was an hour walk to the fallls, but worth it. We brought water bottles with us and it was a warm day.

I just have to say this is one of the most hospitable, easy to visit forests in the country. The…read moreinterpretive sites are nice and have clean bathrooms and solid picnic benches, Hat Creek and other locations have excellent picnic sites, and most importantly, they are conserving ground water and lowering fire risk with extensive tree thinning operations. It's pretty easy to see there is a lot of work being done for the American people on this forest.

Almanor Ranger Station is located along Highway 36 East across from the airport as you are heading…read moreinto Chester. The Almanor Ranger District encompasses the southern end of Lassen National Forest. We found our stop at this station well worth it. The staff was helpful and answered our questions about road and trail conditions in Caribou Wilderness. They have maps, brochures and other useful information available for free. There are also books and assorted items for sale. Public restrooms are located inside the building.