Gold Dredge Trailhead, December 11, 2022

Clear Creek Trail in Clear Creek Greenway, Redding, is an easy-access local trail that we were unfamiliar with. So we sought to remedy that on this particular Sunday, despite the short daylight hours and unsettled weather.

We started from Gold Dredge Trailhead, which is ~2.5 miles west along Clear Creek Road from Highway 273. It’s the eastern-most trailhead for Clear Creek Trail, has lots of parking and pit toilets. It also has a lot of trash strewn about, giving it an an unsavory feel. Indeed, the whole section along Clear Creek Road in this vicinity seems battered and abused; we did not have high hopes for this hike.

Gold Dredge Trailhead sign. D. Burk. — Gold Dredge Trailhead for Clear Creek Trail, in the Clear Creek Greenway, Redding, is on the south side of Clear Creek Road, only a few miles from Highway 273. Photo taken December 11, 2022, by Don Burk.

We are delighted to report that we were very wrong! It turned out to be a wonderfully fun trail. Most of the time, the trail is quite close to the creek, and there are many places one can access the water.

Clear Creek. D. Burk. — It is very easy to access Clear Creek, especially from the eastern section of Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Interestingly, there were many picked-clean salmon skeletons at all of the access points that we visited. It appears that the turkey vultures had been well fed! Photo by Don Burk, taken on December 11, 2022.

In fact, along one stretch, the trail was under water, probably because of very recent rains, and it was easy enough to find a way around.

Wet-place crossing on Clear Creek Trail. D. Burk — Permanently placed stepping stones made crossing this oft-inundated area a cinch. Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Photo by Don Burk, taken December 11, 2022.

It is also a mostly flat trail, except for a place or two where it climbs out of the creek’s flood plain, into hills vegetated with larger riparian trees such as valley and canyon live oaks, and knobcone, ponderosa, and gray pines.

Pines, oaks, and naked buckwheat. D. Burk. — Pines and oaks forest the upper benches above Clear Creek, through which the trail passes a couple of times. The red stems in the foreground are naked buckwheats, *Eriogonum nudum,* some still in bloom! Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Photo taken on December 11, 2022, by Don Burk.

In the flats near the creek grow numerous willows, brambles, and grasses—all in their winter garb now, of course. Close to Gold Dredge Trailhead, there are several restoration plantings in evidence. Some areas appear to be very newly planted, others quite mature. Overall, it felt to us that the work that BLM has done here has not gone to waste!

Restoration planting. D. Burk. — Restoration planting near Gold Dredge Trailhead, Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Flagged young plants and irrigation pipes can be seen. Photo taken December 11, 2022, by Don Burk.

The rain we expected did not arrive, and we were having such a jolly good time exploring this trail that in a flash we found ourselves at Clear Creek Gorge Overlook and Trailhead, ~4 miles upstream from Gold Dredge Trailhead. This is a very nice and well developed trailhead with paved parking, toilets, picnic benches, interpretive signs, and viewing areas. Even if you don’t hike, this trailhead is worth a stop just to watch Clear Creek as it churns through the narrow, rocky gorge.

Churn Creek and trailhead at the gorge. D. Burk. — Clear Creek just east of the Clear Creek Gorge Overlook and Trailhead, which you can see in the upper right quadrant of this photo. Taken from Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding, on December 11, 2022, by Don Burk.

About halfway between Gold Dredge and Clear Creek Gorge trailheads, Clear Creek Trail is intersected by a trail from Honeybee Trailhead, which gives hikers many more options in terms of hike lengths. We did not visit Honeybee Trailhead—there was too much to see on Clear Creek Trail without taking a detour!

Memorial bench for Gary Matson. D. Burk. — This was a heart-warming find: a memorial bench honoring the late Gary Matson. Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Photo by Don Burk, taken December 11, 2022.

Great Horned Owl. D. Burk. — While trying to decide if an oak in the distance could be an oracle oak, we spied this grand fellow, a Great Horned Owl, *Bubo virginianus,* watching us. Clear Creek Trail in the Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Photo by Don Burk, taken December 11, 2022.

Exercise station. D. Burk, — Apparently, simply getting out in nature is not enough for some people. There were at least a half dozen of these exercise stations along the trail, mostly closer to the overlook. Clear Creek Trail, Clear Creek Greenway, Redding. Photo by Don Burk, taken December 11, 2022.

We highly recommend this local, under-used trail, and we look forward to returning once spring arrives. ~Laurie & Don Burk