Northern Mountains - California - page 671

Around Redding
Shasta State Historic Park
On Hwy 299, 6 miles west of Redding, this state historic park ( 520-243-8194;
www.parks.ca.gov ; museum entry adult/child $3/2; 10am-5pm Fri-Sun) preserves the ruins of
an 1850s Gold Rush mining town called Shasta - not to be confused with Mt Shasta City.
When the Gold Rush was at its heady height, everything and everyone passed through this
Shasta. But when the railroad bypassed it to set up in Poverty Flats (present-day Redding),
poor Shasta lost its raison d'être. Shopkeepers packed up shingle and moved to Redding -
literally. They moved many of Shasta's businesses brick by brick.
An 1861 courthouse contains the excellent museum ( 530-243-8194; admission $2;
10am-5pm Thu-Sun; ) , the best in this part of the state. With its amazing gun collection,
spooky holograms in the basement and a gallows out back, it's a thrill ride. Pick up
walking-tour pamphlets from the information desk and follow trails to the beautiful Cath-
olic cemetery, brewery ruins and many other historic sites.
Whiskeytown Lake
Two miles further west on Hwy 299, sparkling Whiskeytown Lake ( 530-242-3400;
www.nps.gov/whis ; day use per vehicle $5) takes its name from an old mining camp. When the
lake was created in the 1960s by the construction of a 263ft dam, designed for power gen-
eration and Central Valley irrigation, the few remaining buildings of old Whiskeytown
were moved and the camp was submerged. John F Kennedy was present at the dedication
ceremony, less than two months before his assassination. Today folks descend on the
lake's serene 36 miles of forested shoreline to camp, swim, sail, mountain bike and pan for
gold.
The visitors center ( 530-246-1225; 9am-6pm May-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Apr) , on the
northeast point of the lake, just off Hwy 299, provides free maps and information on Whis-
keytown and Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area from knowledgeable
and agreeable staff. Look for ranger-led interpretive programs and guided walks. The hike
from the visitors center to roaring Whiskeytown Falls (3.4 miles round trip) follows a
former logging road and is a good quick trip.