![Whiskeytown Falls](https://dogtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Whiskeytown-Falls-scaled-e1668186467747-300x168.jpeg)
We can’t gush enough about the dog-friendly waterfall hikes and photo opportunities waiting for you
Read more![yellow lab sits in front of Whiskeytown Falls](https://dogtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Maya-Whiskeytown-Falls-300x240.jpg)
Redding, the last major city on Interstate 5 as you near Mt. Shasta, is the undisputed Trail Capital of California, with over 225 miles of trails within 15 miles of its city center.
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Haven’t figured out how to use those unused vacation days? We have just the perfect destination. Redding, the last major city on Interstate 5 as you near Mt. Shasta, is the undisputed Trail Capital of California with over 225 miles of trails within 15 miles of its city center.
Redding is also the gateway to the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Few areas managed by the National Park Service allow dogs out of campgrounds or off of paved roads, but this one is a welcome exception. Yes, you do have to leash-up on the 70 miles of trails, but it is worth it as dogs and humans can cool off paws and heels at any of the four waterfalls and go off-leash where the trails meet the lake as long as they respond well to voice commands.
Read more![Dog and person walking in Shasta](https://dogtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/pexels-pille-kirsi-1009400-300x151.jpg)
May is prime hiking time in the Shasta Cascade region around Redding, where Mount Shasta (14,161 feet) and Mount Lassen (10,463 feet) rise like giant snow cones from the rugged landscape.
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There’s no better time to experience the Shasta Cascade range around Redding than in spring, when the rugged foothills glow velvet green, the icy cone of Mount Shasta looms tall and waterfalls tumble into the streams feeding sapphire-blue Whiskeytown Lake.
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Photo Credit: lostintheredwoods (CC)
As the drought continues (come on, El Niño!), the mere sight of a sizeable body of water becomes ever more revered. And while Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir, has shrunk to a shadow of its former self, nearby Whiskeytown Lake, centerpiece of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, is kept full almost to the brim. Boaters, kayakers and hikers with furry companions have an advantage here, as dogs are allowed on almost all the park’s 70 miles of trails and everywhere along the lake’s shoreline except at four designated swimming beaches.
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