Hang onto your leash: You’ll need it to steady yourself when you get your first close-up look at Redding‘s iconic Sundial Bridge. The stunning pedestrian strand designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava links dog-friendly trails on both sides of the Sacramento River. Start off by exploring the McConnell Arboretum on a 1.2-mile paved loop trail, then duck into the deli at Turtle Bay Exploration Park Museum for takeout to enjoy on the adjacent picnic grounds.
If your shoes are made for walkin’ and your buddy’s still woofin’ to go, soak up some fall scenery along the Sacramento River Trail, the jewel in the crown of Shasta County‘s extensive trail system. This 20-mile trail is now paved from the Sundial Bridge to the Shasta Dam, and connects with more than 60 miles of other trails. After a day of hoofin’ it, you have many dog-friendly places to relax, including Redding’s Red Lion Hotel or in the appropriately named Dog Creek Bridge Room at the Bridgehouse Bed & Breakfast, also in Redding.
