Trip Ideas

This boy is kayaking on Whiskeytown Lake, and we invite you to do the same! Put your lifejacket on, lather up the sunscreen and then enjoy the cool, clean water of the reservoir as the hot summer sun shines upon you.

Plan Your Summer 2024 Vacation

Recommendations & Things to Know About If You Are Visiting From Outside the Local Area

• While summertime can be a magical time to visit the park, it’s important for you to understand that it is very hot - temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Because of the heat, we recommend dipping into the clean, cool waters of Whiskeytown Lake! With its shade, picnic tables, flush toilets, beach shop, and kayak/stand-up paddleboard rentals, we recommend Brandy Creek Beach for swimming and suntanning.

• We not only recommend getting in the lake, we also recommend getting on the lake – join a ranger-led kayak or stand-up paddleboard program, or rent a patio boat, fishing boat, or kayak, including pedal kayaks, from Whiskeytown Marinas LLC, our park concessioner. If you have your own boat, be sure and grab your lifejacket and plan like a ranger for a safe day on the water.

• If you like the idea of hot weather camping, that’s great! But please note that if you prefer your evenings with air conditioning, Redding is a city located just 10 minutes down the hill from the park and has tons of lodging opportunities.

• If you want to hike, mountain bike, trail run, or horseback ride, do it in the early morning before the hottest part of the day, and be sure and carry and drink lots of water. Here’s a list of our trails.

• If visiting with children between the ages of seven and 12, our Whiskeytown Junior Ranger Book might be a fun option for them. Get the booklet at the Visitor Center, and then have your kids fill out the activities learning about the park, and then return to the Visitor Center to have your child get a badge and become an official Junior Ranger.

• While most of our visitors make good decisions, some unfortunately do not. To protect the park, yourself, and other visitors, please take a look at these common park rules and regulations. We do not want you to end up severely injured or in jail.

 

A special sighting of wildlife can enhance your park experience. On Whiskeytown Lake proper, great blue heron (shown here), bald eagle, osprey, cormorants, and many other species of birds might be seen. We captured this photo near Oak Bottom. NPS Photo/Scott Einberger.

• Head to the Visitor Center first. Our “VC” is a great place to pay your entrance pass, grab your park brochure and newspaper, and ask the rangers any questions you have.

• For visitors seeking information on accessibility, we have numerous wheelchair-accessible areas of the park and several audio-described wayside exhibits.

• Consider visiting other units of the National Park System during your vacation to Whiskeytown. We are located only an hour from Lassen Volcanic National Park and two and a half hours from Redwood National and State Parks. Learn more about the national parks of Northern California and Southern Oregon.

• What questions do you have? How can we help you plan your visit? Message us on Facebook or email us at [e-mail].