If you long for much cooler weather, as well as beautiful flowers and big trees, head for the coastal town of Trinidad—about a three-hour drive from Redding via Hwy 299, and for a short distance north on Hwy 101.
My wife Billie, daughter Ciara, dogs Tiny and Baxster, and I spent two glorious days hiking in mid-60-degree temperatures. We explored the headland above Trinidad Harbor (a circular trail of approximately two miles in length ) and the nearby Trinidad State Beach area, which is located off Main Street on Stagecoach Road. Here we hiked a 2.5-mile out-and-back trail through a forest dominated by Sitka spruce. Both of these hikes require only a moderate amount of exertion.
Flowering plants included fireweed, sticky monkeyflower, hardy fuchsia, salal, cow parsnip, Douglas iris, Columbia tiger lily, yellow bush lupine, coastal manroot, largeflower fairybells, red clover, and twinberry honeysuckle.
If you need a bite to eat halfway between Redding and the coast, I highly recommend the Straw House, which is located in Big Flat. Here you can enjoy excellently prepared sandwiches and salads while dining on their patio next to the rushing Trinity River. -Chris Harvey.
The following slideshow features photos from both Trinidad trails, on June 16, 2020. Unless otherwise noted, the photographer was Chris Harvey. Enjoy!
