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Castle Crags on MLK Day 2026

Castle Crags late Spring

Admission to Castle Crags State Park in Castella was free for the January day we celebrate the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. I captured some images.
Castle Crags in the high country

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”.
I hope so. Things look bleak in the moral universe lately.

Here is a 360 view taken from just outside the park.Click on the image to look around:

This wonderful park is less than an hour’s drive north of Redding. The campground is small, and it all seems understaffed. It wasn’t crowded that day, even though it was free to get in. It’s only around $8 on any normal day anyway, I think. But it would be unfortunate to see it overwhelmed by some viral social media post. That does indeed happen. One must be careful what one posts, but I don’t know how to entirely avoid that calamity that without just keeping it a secret. It is very beautiful in any event. A lovely hike or picnic spot that’s ReallyRedding.

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November Sunday morning in Crescent City

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It looks increasingly as though this blog is less about Redding CA, and more like places you can appreciate and easily visit from Redding. Crescent City is a lovely half day drive from Redding. Captured these images on an early November Sunday morning.



 

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A renewed Burney Falls

Tiny planet view of Burney Falls

Well, not a renewal of the falls itself, instead the trail down to the falls has been massively redesigned and improved. But first, here’s the famous falls in action:

Sure, you’ve seen that view before. This year, it’s really flowing strongly due to our recent fairly normal wet winter. Well, heavy winter rainfall used to be normal. No matter what, the water you see here flows from an underground aquifer. Not far upstream from the falls, the creek bed is nearly dry.
Here’s your first glimpse of the beauty as you approach:


A couple more shots:

Burney falls in the mistTiny planet view of Burney Falls

The new trail work is amazing. It looks really authentic, and is in keeping with the forestry style. It’s like something from Yosemite or Yellowstone. It also looks like it’s always been there. If you’ve been there in the recent past, you may recall when the trail was more of a “suggestion.” Cutting corners and scrambling over loose rocks invited the adventurous and foolish city folk to injury. Not great for a park with as many tourists as this one attracted. Yes, the trail is cleaned up and well defined (with handrails!). More civilized, but, still in keeping with the woodsy ethos. I say it’s a big improvement.

Newly refurbished trail at Burney FallsNewly refurbished trail to Burney Falls again.

There are still more rustic trails:

Misty trail into the park at Burney Falls

We camped in the Rim Trail campground. It was lovely, quiet and serene.

Motorhome at campground in Burney Falls Park

No hook-ups. No electricity. No wi-fi. No cell service. At first it was bit of withdrawal for me, I’m sad to admit. Then, it became a sublime respite. An unexpected break with a positive impact. Highly recommended. But good luck to you getting here. We are told the campground is fully booked for the summer of 2025, and they start reservations 6 months in advance. But there we are. Just like Yosemite, etc. park popularity comes with a downside.

A few more images:

Burney Falls image

Burney Falls State Park is located about an hour’s drive east of Redding on highway 299E. In so many ways, it’s ReallyRedding.

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Approaching Mt Lassen

The often snow covered vista of Lassen Peak graces our eastern horizon from Redding California. I can see the mountain from my bedroom window in north Redding. Here is a brief aerial view captured in the spring of 2025 approaching the park from the west.

Mt Lassen in spring 2025 with Manzanita Lake in the foreground.