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.

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.

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.

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 came here a bunch as a kid when we would come to Shasta for a week at a time and needed a break…read morefrom the water. I most recently came here because it was supposed to thunderstorm and we couldn't get out on the water. The bridge crosses the Sacramento river and is a working sundial, at least for a few hours during the day. They have a lot more offerings in the area than when I used to come. There's a small train that crosses the bridge and a botanical garden, plus a nighttime glow light show at the botanical garden. There's a small cafe and gift shop that has some cool art and local goods as well as trails throughout the area.

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.

An original town in Shasta County…read more This historic park houses the remains of Shasta City, once alive and bustling during the Gold Rush days, and now a ghost town with restored stagecoach, barn and courthouse. Due to Covid-19 the museum is temporarily closed but we stopped and walked among the Southside Ruins, strolling and stopping to read the markers and interpretive signs at the brick ruins, imagining for a moment what it was like in 1849. The authentic brick buildings have crumbled and are the decayed remnants of a once thriving gold rush shopping district. Across the street is an open picnic grounds with lots of picnic benches under shady trees. The park hours sign read: open from Sunrise to Sunset. The temperatures here reached over 100° F this past weekend and is probably like this every summer so take extra water. We did not see the cemetery. We hope to return again someday to explore and learn more. Easy access. The park is six miles west of downtown Redding and Highway 299 passes through the town's Main Street. Review #1910

Pulled over on the highway to check out this old courthouse. Staffed by a park employee, it…read moredoesn't take long to see everything, but you can stay a while if you read all of the interesting story boards. I recommend visiting this locale if you have any interest in the history of Shasta.

Lewiston Lake resembles a river due to power generation releases from the Trinity Power House at…read morethe upper end of Trinity Dam. The cold, clear water coming out of Trinity Dam is spiked with ground-up fish that get sucked through the turbines and what then becomes a very fertile trout fishery.

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!

More cities need community swimming holes like this one…read more It's a bit nostalgic, really, to think of a gathering place you could bring your family and friends to swim and have a good time... for free! Even more of a throwback was to see actual lifeguards on duty. There was even a snow cone vendor nearby. For a second I thought I was imagining myself in an 80s flick and waited for John Cusack to float by me on an inner tube... must have been the triple digit heat that day. Anyway, Chico continues to throw a surprise at me every time I visit and explore around. One Mile is a gem and I'm grateful to my friend for introducing it to me. Next time I'm bringing a picnic for sure. Check it out!

it may look clean, but it has a lot of feces problems. There are fresh water showers, and it is wet…read moreand cool. Just do not drink the water.

Gorgeous Views of the Mountain & Nearby Buttes…read more SITREP I am one of those people who appreciates the opportunity to stop off at a Vista and just enjoy the beautiful scenery of a stretch of desolation (such as down I-5 near Cattlemen City) or as in THIS case, some great peaks set amidst some incredible wooded country. THE SETUP Mt. Shasta makes for a great backdrop for pictures of majestic peaks, set against blue skies, atop a green carpet of some of the greenest trees I've ever scene. But the fun doesn't stop there.... RANDOMNESS Once in a while you get something so bizarre that it sends chills up & down your spine, such as when I turned my camera toward Black Butte and watch in awe as a military jet just screamed off the side of the mountain, straight into the air. Things like that you will NOT forget. And I can't believe I actually got that on film too. THE LOWDOWN Beautiful scenery set amidst the vast California wonderland...

This is a quick spot to pull over to take in the view of Mount Shasta. There are a few educational…read moreboards with information along the sidewalk, but not much else. The view isn't even all that good. In all, it's an okay spot to get out and stretch the legs for a few minutes, but that's it.

The "Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds," also known as the Weaverville Joss House State…read moreHistoric Park, is a remarkable historical site due to how well it is decorated and preserved. It truly offers a unique glimpse into the lives of Chinese immigrants in early California. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant majority of Chinese emigration to North America originated from the Sze Yup (The four counties) region of Guangdong province in China. These counties are located on the west side of the Pearl River Delta. This region includes Taishan (Toi Shan), Kaiping, Xinhui, and Enping. Taishan was the largest source of these immigrants. The exodus was caused by severe ethnic wars. The Punti-Hakka Clan Wars were a conflict between the Hakka and the Cantonese people in Guangdong, China between 1855 and 1867. The wars were fiercest around the Pearl River Delta, especially in Toi Shan of the Sze Yup counties. The wars resulted in roughly a million dead with many more displaced civilians. Due to this immigration pattern, Taishanese was the dominant dialect of Chinese spoken in Chinatowns across North America up until the mid-20th century. While related to Cantonese, Taishanese has limited mutual intelligibility with it. Approximately 1.3 million people are estimated to have origins in Taishan. It's noteworthy that there are more overseas Taishanese than those living in Taishan itself, highlighting the significant diaspora. Taishanese immigrants played a crucial role in the development of early California and the United United States. For example, they constituted about 90% of the entire workforce (approximately 12,000 workers) employed by the Central Pacific Railroad to build the transcontinental railroad. They also worked in gold mines, fisheries, and various other labor-intensive jobs, contributing significantly to the state's economy. Even today, many older generations in Chinatowns in major North American cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston still speak Taishanese. However, more recent immigration patterns and the increasing prevalence of Mandarin and other dialects have led to a shift in the linguistic landscape of these communities. Despite their immense contributions, Chinese immigrants, including the Toi Shanese, faced severe discrimination and mistreatment in the US, culminating in acts like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which significantly restricted Chinese immigration for decades. The Weaverville Joss House, as a surviving example of a rural-style Chinese temple of that era, holds immense historical and cultural significance, especially considering that many similar temples in China were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Its preservation offers a tangible link to this important period of Chinese American history. I have many Toi Shanese friends, hence my interest in their origins and culture and as to why there are so many of them here in California.

State Park and Oldest Chinese Temple in California [Weaverville CA]…read more The Temple is located in the heart of Weaverville which is a small community that is some fifty miles west of Redding. When we arrived at the park the 1:00p tour had just started. We were able to catch up outside of the temple. The tour guide/docent was very knowledgeable in its history. He shared a lot of the symbolic exhibits and was informative in describing the Taoism study as we entered the 'Conference Room' first then the Temple itself, which was where we spent the most time. The temple is the oldest in California and has been in continuous use as a place of worship since its construction. At the end of the tour I was able to go back inside the Visitor's Center and take a closer look at the museum collection pieces on display including a beautiful "Chinese Lion Dancer's Headdress" and an old abacus. The park includes a visitor center, parking lot, and the Kuan Yin pool. Park hours are from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00a to 5:00p. The Temple and Visitor Center are open Friday to Sunday from 10:00a to 4:00p. Tours of the Chinese Taoist Temple are offered at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Tour fee is $4 adults 18 and older. Review #3457