Dog-friendly Upper and Lower Ditch Trails in Redding, CA once brought water to 19th-century gold miners. There are lots of relics of the era to see if you know how and where to look! While the Upper Trail is a hefty 9 miles, the Lower section is only 2.8. Both are rated easy to moderate.
The Upper Trail, starting near the Shasta Dam visitor parking lot, stretches to the trailhead at the end of Walker Mine Road. Stop on any of the three bridges to enjoy the springtime cascades and falls on the northern portion of the trail. Take in the views of Shasta Dam, the Sacramento River, and Keswick Reservoir.
Lower Trail follows the alignment of the Sacramento Ditch south of Walker Mine Road and connects to the 4-mile Hornbeck Trail, which follows the route of a long-abandoned, narrow-gauge railroad.
