It’s summertime; it’s Redding; it’s hot—not exactly the most comfortable time of the year to walk outdoors! But, if you get out of bed early enough to beat the heat, there are plenty of flowering and fruiting plants to be enjoyed.
This past Tuesday, my wife, Billie, dog Baxster, and I revisited the Clear Creek Gorge Trail. Walking three miles downstream, then retracing our steps, we saw many beautiful plants. Among these were foothill poppy, naked buckwheat, rosinweed, Himalayan blackberry, California wild grape, narrow-leaved milkweed, Indian milkweed, cobwebby thistle, greenleaf manzanita, gumweed, bouncing-bet, button-willow, scarlet monkeyflower, and redwood keckiella.
The scarlet monkeyflower can be found about three miles downstream next to Clear Creek, while the redwood keckiella is located next to the vertical edge of the gorge, less than a quarter mile from the parking lot.
The trail is mostly level and easy to hike, except for the section next to the vertical cliff of the gorge. Take plenty of water to drink, wear a hat to ward off the sun, and watch for rattlesnakes!
To get to the Clear Creek Gorge Trailhead, drive west on Clear Creek Road. One mile beyond Honeybee Road, look for the Clear Creek Gorge Overlook sign on the left of the road.
-Chris Harvey
The following slideshow features photos of native species in bloom along the Clear Creek Gorge Trail, on July 7, 2020. All photos were taken by Chris Harvey. Enjoy!
