West's Best Bike Ride

Bike Redding's Beautiful Sacramento River Trail

04.26.2018

It’s the crown jewel of biking trails, wending its way through wildflowers and by the banks of the rippling Sacramento River, with stunning mountain views along the way.

You’ll also cross over one of the most famous pedestrian-only bridges on the planet (its sister bridges are in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Seville, Spain). The 17-mile Sacramento River Trail, from the Sundial Bridge to Shasta Dam, is a car-free paved path ideal for casual bikers and serious cyclists alike.

Along the way, enjoy incredible river scenery and the Shasta Trifecta: views of Mount Shasta, Shasta Dam, and Shasta Lake. Experienced riders can go the full distance to the Shasta Dam and casual riders can flip it wherever they please.

Either way, the Sundial Bridge starting point marks the sweetest spot for starting and ending the ride. An architectural favorite, the bridge is literally a giant sundial and showcases the sublime views up and down the river, all the way to snowy Mount Shasta. Roll call!

Park at the Sundial Bridge/Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Cross over the Sundial Bridge, turn left, and continue on the Sacramento River Trail. After about 2.5 miles the trail comes to Harlan Dr.—turn left and continue a few hundred feet to pick up the trail again. About one mile further, you’ll cross over the Sacramento River at Ribbon Bridge. From here to Shasta Dam you’ll be riding on the west side of the river. It’s 34 miles round-trip. Map. The Sundial Bridge is dog-friendly!

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