The trails in the Turtle Bay area in central Redding are a nice alternative or complement to the Sacramento River Trail route. These mainly paved paths are anchored by Turtle Bay Exploration Park, an open area along the river that also showcases the Sundial Bridge. The terrain here is fairly open. We’ve mapped a 7.5 mile loop that has several segments, so there are shorter & longer options.
Start with a 1.2 mile loop around the trails of Turtle Bay Exploration Park on the south side of the river, where there’s a zoo, botanical garden, & Paul Bunyan Forest Camp. Cross the iconic Sundial Bridge, and take the path west to the McConnell Arboretum, where features a short loop and then the Sacramento River Trail back east to the bridge. The next section is a ~1.2 mile loop around trails in the Bluffs area. FULL LOOP: Climb 200 feet over 1/2 mile to Hilltop Dr., then east along the sidewalk to Pallisades Ave., which connects south to the Redding River Trail Park and ~1.5 miles of paths around Turtle Bay East. Complete the loop by running on the path alongside the Highway 44 bridge (not very pleasant, but it’s safe for running).At this point, you can make this a shorter, ~4.5 mile run by returning to the start.
Shorter Option: Eliminates the Hilltop Dr./Turtle Bay East section, making it a ~4.5 mile route.
Add-Ons: Sacramento River Trail. Many miles of additional multi-use paths along the river.
Pro Tip: Don’t miss the Garden of Lights, when Turtle Bay Exploration Park is transformed into 10 acres of gorgeous light displays. Though you might not be able to run the paths, they can be seen from the Sundial Bridge and are very special!
The trails in the Turtle Bay area in central Redding are a nice alternative or complement to the Sacramento River Trail route. These mainly paved paths are anchored by Turtle Bay Exploration Park, an open area along the river that also showcases the Sundial Bridge. The terrain here is fairly open. We’ve mapped a 7.5 mile loop that has several segments, so there are shorter & longer options.
Start with a 1.2 mile loop around the trails of Turtle Bay Exploration Park on the south side of the river, where there’s a zoo, botanical garden, & Paul Bunyan Forest Camp. Cross the iconic Sundial Bridge, and take the path west to the McConnell Arboretum, where features a short loop and then the Sacramento River Trail back east to the bridge. The next section is a ~1.2 mile loop around trails in the Bluffs area. FULL LOOP: Climb 200 feet over 1/2 mile to Hilltop Dr., then east along the sidewalk to Pallisades Ave., which connects south to the Redding River Trail Park and ~1.5 miles of paths around Turtle Bay East. Complete the loop by running on the path alongside the Highway 44 bridge (not very pleasant, but it’s safe for running).At this point, you can make this a shorter, ~4.5 mile run by returning to the start.
Shorter Option: Eliminates the Hilltop Dr./Turtle Bay East section, making it a ~4.5 mile route.
Add-Ons: Sacramento River Trail. Many miles of additional multi-use paths along the river.
Pro Tip: Don’t miss the Garden of Lights, when Turtle Bay Exploration Park is transformed into 10 acres of gorgeous light displays. Though you might not be able to run the paths, they can be seen from the Sundial Bridge and are very special!
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!