The day we hiked the northern ~4.5-mile section of the Princess Ditch Trail, in Redding’s Swasey Recreation Area, the weather was typical for an early-spring day. In the course of six hours, we experienced humid heat, chilly winds, rainy sunshine, hail, heavy overcast, and bright blue skies.
We also experienced a barrage of botanical beauties atypical of recent springs. Our magnificently wet and rainy winter the year has allowed for an abundant crop of wildflowers. Not only did we marvel at the density of plants per area, but also at the unusually high number of flowers per stem on multi-flowered plants. Henderson’s shooting stars, bluedicks, California saxifrage, fringepod, and so many more were amazingly numerous and laden with flowers.
And there are few better places to see the diversity of springtime blooms than on the Princess Ditch Trail. Stoney Gulch Trailhead is the middle of three trailheads that provide access to the Princess Ditch Trail. Driving north on Mule Mountain Road, it is located just after the pavement ends. This is where we started our hike. We went north on the Princess Ditch Trail to Salt Creek Trailhead and back again for an ~9.0-mile hike. Princess Ditch Trail is primarily a very flat trail—most of the footbed is literally inside or on top of an old ditch. Several well-made wooden bridges span the numerous little creeks, which were all rushing, some with beautiful waterfalls, when we were there. The only difficulty is that, because it’s a ditch, it does still hold water after rains, but we have always found it pretty easy to get around. The only slopes you’ll find on this segment are those going to and from the trailheads to access the Princess Ditch Trail, and they are fairly short stretches.
Here is a slideshow of just a few of the things we saw (all photos by Don Burk). While many of these blooms will be going to seed by now, you can bet they will be replaced by a whole ‘nother palette of beauties. Go if you can! Enjoy!
~Laurie & Don Burk
