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Redding, California builds a trail system

See A Shared Vision, Spanning Decades: The Redding Area’s Trail System

We have committed to adding 40 miles of trails, constructing several new and renovated trail heads, and providing direct connections to neighborhoods, regional shopping, and cultural and recreation destinations.

By Terry Hanson
Manager of Community Projects, City of Reddingr

The City of Redding is home to the national headquarters of American Trails and was a co-host of the 2000 National Trails Symposium. In 2000, Redding and its partners initiated an aggressive eight-year, $30 million trails and bikeway capital improvement program.

	The Sundial Bridge, designed by architect, engineer, and artist Santiago Calatrava

Our partners in this endeavor are California State Parks, CalTrans, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, California Boating and Waterways, California Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Water Resources, California Conservation Corps, Sacramento Watershed Action Group, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, private developers, Federal Highway Administration, and The McConnell Foundation.

Together we have committed to building 40 miles of trails, constructing several new and renovated trail heads, and providing direct connections to neighborhoods, regional shopping, cultural and recreation destinations. Sixteen miles have been completed while another seven are under construction. When the capital program is completed in 2008, the Sacramento River Trail will link to hundreds of miles of mountain bike, hiking, and equestrian trails at Whiskeytown and Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Areas.

The centerpiece of our new regional trail system will be the nearly-completed Sundial Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, world renowned architect, engineer, and artist. The bridge crosses the Sacramento River connecting Turtle Bay Exploration Park with the newly developed 200-acre McConnell Arboretum. A celebration for the opening of the bridge and arboretum is planned for the summer of 2004.

This new system of trails and bikeways is viewed as both a necessary recreation amenity and a vital component of the multi-modal transportation system and helps to establish a sense of place. Trails and bikeways are an important part of who we are as a community. We wish to applaud our partners for their vision and commitment to our common goal. We also wish to thank American Trails for being an active participant in our bright future.

To learn more about Redding and the grand opening celebration for the bridge, visit www.visitredding.org, www.turtlebay.org, and www.reddingtrails.com.

February 2004

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