Here in Redding, we can’t get enough of the water – and with all of our lakes and rivers, is it any wonder why? All that water also makes Redding a prime location for students to learn all of the many ways water affects the world around us – and maybe have some ‘splashy’ fun too!
Shasta Dam: Start your day at Shasta Dam, where you can learn all about the history of the eighth tallest US dam and how a hydroelectric power plant works. Begin your tour in the visitor’s center with a 22-minute movie detailing the history of the dam’s construction. Then join your guide for a tour of the dam itself and learn about its day-to-day operations and how it generates hydroelectricity today. After the tour is done, sit down for lunch at the picnic tables in the visitor center lawn, and enjoy a meal overlooking the three ‘Shasta’s’ – Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, and Mount Shasta!
After lunch, hop back on the bus and head up the road to Lake Shasta Caverns National Natural Landmark. Here you’ll learn all about how water formed these million-year-old limestone caves, beginning with a scenic catamaran cruise across Shasta Lake. Once you disembark the cruise, you’ll be taken on a bus ride through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest up to the cavern entrance. Here, students will be outfitted with lighted helmets to feel like professional cavers as they tour the cave and learn all about cave exploration.
Can’t get enough of the water? Stick around Shasta Caverns and embark on one of their Lake Shasta Dinner Cruises, for a delicious meal with stunning views of the water.
After all that learning, it’s only natural that your students are ready to have fun in the water too! Head on over to Waterworks Park for some wet and wild waterpark fun! With over ten different slides and attractions, your students are sure to have a blast at the “coolest place in Redding!”
