Taking advantage of Redding’s still-tolerable temperatures, our group of six, plus two dogs (Baxster and Stella), hiked eastward from the Clear Creek Gorge Overlook for perhaps 1.5 miles before doubling back.
Along the way, we enjoyed several picturesque views of Clear Creek and mostly managed to avoid the wet dogs.
We saw many beautiful blooms, but, in my opinion, the most eye-catching were the superb mariposa-lilies (Calochortus superbus), which we found at about the half-mile mark on the trail. The day of our hike, we encountered less than a half dozen of these beautiful flowers, but I returned several days later and discovered many more had bloomed. If you get a chance, now is a great time to check them out!
Be sure to bring water as there is no drinking fountain. There is a vault toilet adjacent to the parking lot. To get to the Clear Creek Gorge Trailhead, drive west on Clear Creek Road from Highway 273, Redding. One mile beyond Honey Bee Road, look for the Clear Creek Gorge Overlook sign on the south side of the road.
Please enjoy the following photographs that I took in the area. ~Chris Harvey.
