Falling in Love….with Redding’s Trails!

Feb 7

Redding’s trail system is quickly establishing not just a local reputation BUT a national one - for the breadth, depth, and high quality of our trails for walking and biking. This is thanks to the monumental and sustained efforts of federal land managers, local government, and local organizations over the last 25 years who have put their heart and soul into building over 80 miles of paved and dirt trails within the City limits. When you add the trails in the greater Redding area, that total exceeds over 200 miles….and counting! The hub of our trail system is the nationally recognized Sacramento River Trail, which was designated as a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior in May of 2002.

What’s to love about a robust community trail system?

Trails provide a safe, inexpensive avenue for regular exercise for people living in rural, urban and suburban areas. Walking or biking on trails will do your heart and your health good!
Communities with trails provide enjoyable and safe options for transportation, which reduces air pollution.
Trails have the ability to physically connect different and important elements of nature in a city, provide biological connections and habitat linkages, and also to create important spaces for bringing people together.

Here in Redding, trails are at the heart of our community identity. Our trail system is part of a well designed community infrastructure plan that allows residents and visitors to enjoy the obvious recreational aspects of the trail network and to provide us the opportunity to get out of our cars and use non-motorized methods to commute to school or work, reach major retail and recreation destinations, or ride to the nearby Whiskeytown or Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Areas.

Our community’s love of trails isn’t slowing down. New trails are continuing to be built and planned by the City of Redding’s Parks and Recreation Department and through public private partnerships and collaborations. The Redding Parks and Trails Foundation has and will continue to act as a fiscal sponsor to support new trail construction. Watch for more updates and ways you can help in these efforts!

This February - and beyond! - make your heart happy by exploring our local trail system with someone you love, on your bike or with your own two feet!