Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
From Interstate 5, take the Highway 44 West exit toward Downtown Redding and Eureka. From Downtown Redding, follow Highway 299 west toward Eureka for approximately 8 miles to reach the Visitor Center.
Whiskeytown, CA 96095
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$20 a week for private vehicle, $15 motorcycle, $10 bike/walk, $40 annual pass
There are some really cool guided tours here. I highly recommend reserving tickets for the guided ranger kayak tours or SUP (stand up paddle boarding) tours. It’s only $1.50 concession fee per ticket and the program is only offered in the summer on select dates usually Fri – Sun. If the weather is bad and the tour gets cancelled you can change your dates for free. They provide you with life jackets, paddles, and the kayak/board. The ranger is very prepared for any emergency and makes sure to go at the right pace for the group. They will lock up your personal items in the shed for safe keeping.
The kayak tour starts at 9:00am – 11:30am and they have both single kayaks and tandem kayaks depending on the number of people on the tour. I have pretty bad balance and concern about e-coli in the waters so I chose this over SUP. I went with my family who have never kayaked before and it was easy to learn for all. You will get wet so bring a change of clothes. The tour takes you along quiet coves and the ranger points out the flora and fauna. There are also volunteers that corral the group like cattle so trust me when I say it’s very safe! The people who signed up the tours were of all different ages from 12 – 70 years old.
Aside from the tour, you can visit other trails such as Whiskeytown Falls, Crystal Creek Falls, Tower District, and have a picnic at Brandy Creek Beach. There’s a lot of water and hiking activities to do here. The featured picture at the top is called a glory hole which protects the Whiskeytown dam from flooding.
