Shasta Rowing Association member instructs young student on Whiskeytown Lake. Image taken ata recent class put on by Redding Recreation. A lovely and healthy skill taught in a truly spectacular setting. While there we all witnessed an eagle swooping in to catch a fish, too quick for a photo.
A renewed Burney Falls
Well, not a renewal of the falls itself, instead the trail down to the falls has been massively redesigned and improved. But first, here’s the famous falls in action:
Sure, you’ve seen that view before. This year, it’s really flowing strongly due to our recent fairly normal wet winter. Well, heavy winter rainfall used to be normal. No matter what, the water you see here flows from an underground aquifer. Not far upstream from the falls, the creek bed is nearly dry.
Here’s your first glimpse of the beauty as you approach:
A couple more shots:
The new trail work is amazing. It looks really authentic, and is in keeping with the forestry style. It’s like something from Yosemite or Yellowstone. It also looks like it’s always been there. If you’ve been there in the recent past, you may recall when the trail was more of a “suggestion.” Cutting corners and scrambling over loose rocks invited the adventurous and foolish city folk to injury. Not great for a park with as many tourists as this one attracted. Yes, the trail is cleaned up and well defined (with handrails!). More civilized, but, still in keeping with the woodsy ethos. I say it’s a big improvement.
There are still more rustic trails:
We camped in the Rim Trail campground. It was lovely, quiet and serene.
No hook-ups. No electricity. No wi-fi. No cell service. At first it was bit of withdrawal for me, I’m sad to admit. Then, it became a sublime respite. An unexpected break with a positive impact. Highly recommended. But good luck to you getting here. We are told the campground is fully booked for the summer of 2025, and they start reservations 6 months in advance. But there we are. Just like Yosemite, etc. park popularity comes with a downside.
A few more images:
Burney Falls State Park is located about an hour’s drive east of Redding on highway 299E. In so many ways, it’s ReallyRedding.
Approaching Mt Lassen
The often snow covered vista of Lassen Peak graces our eastern horizon from Redding California. I can see the mountain from my bedroom window in north Redding. Here is a brief aerial view captured in the spring of 2025 approaching the park from the west.
Visit the Courthouse Museum in Old Shasta
Before Redding existed, Shasta was the queen city of Northern California. Shasta’s mostly fireproof main street now lies in ruin. But you can catch a glimpse life in the Gold Rush era and more at the Courthouse Museum.
The ruins are now Shasta State Historic Park. There are also live demonstrations of pioneer skills like blacksmithing that go on in the park. Here are a few images I captured of what the museum typically has on display.
Keeping in touch with the past. Just a 6 mile ride west of town, it’s Really Redding.
Impulsive
A few days ago, I previewed a bank owned house located on Little Cow Creek in eastern Shasta County. Not far from that property, was this vision in a meadow. Pointed in the right direction, ready to head downstream in a Really Big Flood. Or maybe a rising sea.
Impulsive? Perhaps not. Planning ahead, I say. They laughed at Noah too, you know.
