California Road Trip Planning- Whiskeytown Lake

The National Recreation Area says "Whiskeytown is More Than a Beautiful Lake", I can attest to the quote as true! Waterfalls, hiking trails, and some of the most beautiful country in California you'll ever see in your lifetime.  

Photo take by Prayitno Photography

The clear blue waters of Whiskeytown Lake are surrounded by prominent mountain peaks with stunning waterfall -- creating the best mountain creeks for fishing. The absolute best camping, swimming, hiking, and fishing in all of California.

There are over 38,000 acres surrounding 4 waterfalls, mountain creeks and over 70 miles of mountain trails.  Plus, it's the center of the California Gold Rush area. You can pan for gold in "them thar' rivers".

That's one of our plans when we visit Whiskeytown in our road trip. The kids and I want to find our pot of gold while we take in the majestic mountains and watch the wild animals' commune with Mother Nature.

Our first venture will be to try out some of the water sports that range from kayaking, sailing, fishing, swimming and water-skiing on the lake. There are 2.5-hour free kayak programs available to book in advance and not to be missed!

From there, we’ll hit the trails for some hiking. Of course, we’d like to take in all 4 waterfalls, but that's a lot of hiking through the woods. Click here for all of its trail information. We'll be bringing along our mountain bikes to take some of the steeper trails and cover more trails. And, who can resist the thrill of downhill rides? Whiskeytown is known for some of the best mountain biking in the area and its epic Lemurian Shasta Classic Mountain Bike Race.

There is so much to do while visiting the area. You can camp, picnic or take an RV and park in the RV Park. The swimming in the lake is around Brandy Creek Swim Area, which is about 10 miles from Redding. So, if you don't want to camp out, you can always stay at the hotels in and around Redding. Jet skis are prohibited on Whiskeytown Lake, but you can take your small craft and fish all day long.

The swimming beach is also where you can see Glory Hole. Glory Hole is the water output for the lake. Although, in recent years, the water level has been so low, you may not be able to see the water rushing out of the lake.

If you're a stargazer, Whiskeytown, CA is a great place to view our wonderful galaxy. You can take part in one of free ranger-led astronomy or star party programs to see constellations and learn about the demigods who were immortalized in the stars. There are classic tales of heroes, as well as a look into deep space on the powerful telescope.  You can watch the night stars without any pollution or lights of the city to bar their viewing. It's much better than watching TV!

When you need to enhance your vacation, some of the nearby attractions are close by.   You can visit:

Mount Shasta - is a single peak in the Cascade chain, with a height of 14,179 feet. Rising 11,000 feet from the surrounding valley, it dominates the landscape of northern California. It presents a thousand different faces, inspires great awe and respect, and beckons all to view it from every possible perspective.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest – is nearby for more hiking and camping.  Here you can take in glaciers, lakes and alpine meadows teaming with wildlife and wild flower filled fields.

Redwood National and State Parks – don't miss the redwood forest. You will never see anything like these trees anywhere in the world. It's a bit of a travel, but it's more than worth the effort of a day trip. 

Grab the kids, some food, and take a trip to Whiskeytown, CA for a relaxing day of fun, frolic, and fantastic scenery.

A Note of Interest: Whiskeytown is the only area with the phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae). These beauties are all white and devoid chlorophyll. They can't make energy for themselves, but rely on symbiotic mycorrhizae for its nutrition.