Located in the heart of Northern California, the picturesque city of Redding serves as an outdoor adventure playground for all student group travel. Only a 2-hour drive north of Sacramento and 3 hours from San Francisco, Redding’s wide variety of natural attractions with historical importance makes it an ideal destination for all ages and group sizes. Labeled as the sunniest city in California, Redding is surrounded by national and state parks, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, trails, and educational sites with informative guided group tours. Best of all, the lack of traffic makes for effortless tour bus accommodations and the 300+ restaurants offer a vast array for all tastes and appetites.
Start your trip with a visit to Shasta State Historic Park, where your students can learn about the gold rush and explore a historic mining town. Once you’ve entered the park you’ll be greeted with a row of old, half-ruined, brick buildings that mark the remains of Shasta City – the “Queen City of the Northern Mines.” Here you can walk among the remains of these buildings, with informational plaques giving a glimpse of what life here was like in the town’s gold rush heyday.
After you’ve explored the ruins, you’ll move on to a guided tour of the Courthouse Museum - the fully restored building served as the Shasta County Courthouse for three decades in the late 1800s. Today, the building houses interactive exhibits depicting the history of Shasta City, along with an unparalleled collection of historic California Artwork. Don’t forget to check out the restored jail and gallows - visitors are often startled by the storytelling “ghost” still locked in the jail!
Your tour ends with a walk through the Litsch General Store Merchandise Museum. The store was owned and operated by the Litsch Family from 1850 to 1950 and has been restored to its 1880s appearance – it even contains many original items that were actually for sale at that time!
For the next stop on your tour, head down the road to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Here, you can enjoy a picnic lunch in the Tower House District and take in gorgeous views of the convergence of Mill Creek, Crystal Creek, and Clear Creek.
After lunch, join the park rangers for a hands-on field trip program, where your students can learn how prospectors reshaped the landscape to create a home for their families and an "oasis" for many travelers during and after the California Gold Rush. Students will also try their hands at gold panning in the creek and learn about the different types of mining.
Want to see more of the park? Rent some kayaks and explore the lake from Brandy Creek Beach or take the easy hike to Crystal Creek Falls to experience even more of Whiskeytown’s natural beauty.
End the day back in Redding – where you can relax at one of our many lodging properties and prepare for another day of fun!
After a good nights sleep, head out for the day to Lassen Volcanic National Park and see why this park is such a hidden gem. The park boasts incredible mountain scenery reminiscent of Yosemite as well as fascinating thermal wonders similar to Yellowstone with just a small fraction of the visitors. Explore alpine lakes, bubbling mud pots - you can even hike to the top of an active volcano! Sign up for a ranger-led school tour where students can learn about how life thrives in the extreme environments of Lassen on a hike to Bumpass Hell. Learn how to tell the difference between pine trees and other conifer species and take a journey and travel back in time on the Nobles Emigrant Trail. These are just a few of the available topics students can learn about during a guided trip to Lassen. Need something more custom? Plan a self-guided trip with your group – Lassen welcomes you to explore at your own pace. No matter what you choose, you’re sure to have a fantastic time as you all take in Lassen’s scenic wonders.
After you've finished up in Lassen, you'll find it an easy drive on CA-44 from the north entrance of the park to Redding, where you can get dinner at one of Redding’s many restaurants - the perfect way to end the day after an educational and fun-filled day exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park.
