NPS Website; Local Website
WHAT IS IT?A freshwater lake created by the 1963 damming of the Clear Creek.
BEAUTY (7/10)
Whiskeytown NRA is a lot more beautiful than we ever expected. The blues of the sky and the lake are so vivid and distinct. The surrounding mountains are lined with deep green pine trees. The Site is very calming; its environs look more like an imaginary mountain idyll than a real place just 8 miles from the crowded Interstate. The only detraction is the realization that the Lake is not natural; good ol’ man made it in 1963.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (2/10)
The hunter-gatherer Wintu Indians lived here for thousands of years until the Gold Rush, upon which they were “nearly destroyed”. We found it hard to believe that the Gold Rush reached this far north, but evidently it did. Don’t come here looking to see the creek where the miners panned for gold, it is at the bottom of the Lake.
CROWDS (8/10)
Over 100,000 people live in the Redding area; the Whiskeytown NRA is their public beach. The Park Service has set aside seven separate areas closed to boating. These areas have become magnets for swimmers, kayakers and frolickers of all ages. The rest of the Lake is filled with water skiers, fisherman and scores of people just having a good time. Their happiness was infectious; we could not help but like this place.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (3/5)Whiskeytown Lake is about 10 miles west of Interstate 5 and Redding, California.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
The Site’s book selection was good (trail guides, gold rush yarns and scenery books) but what most caught our eyes were usable gold pans ready for your foray into fortune hunting.
COSTS (3/5)
There is no fee station but there is a charge. Entry is $6 per vehicle or free with the National Parks Pass. If you plan on parking, you must display either your receipt or your Parks Pass on your car’s dashboard. The Park’s meter maids are vigilant and efficient. We saw them ticketing more than a few cars at Whiskeytown.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (2/5)
There were three staff members at the Visitor Center ready to help. Rangers are not really the point at Whiskeytown NRA.
TOURS/CLASSES (6/10)
During the summer, the Site offers twice-daily Ranger-led kayak tours of Whiskeytown Lake’s “more quiet coves”. The tour is free AND the Park provides the kayak! Make reservations well in advance because this tour is very popular. On the weekends, the Park also offers a Junior Firefighter program, a puppet show (!), an orchard tour and guided gold panning. We did not attend any of these programs but they all sound really cool. Whiskeytown Lake NRA might deserve a better tours/classes rating. We did not expect any tours at a National Recreation Area built around a dammed-up lake.
In addition the unaffiliated, but nearby, Shasta State Historic Park is just three miles west of Whiskeytown’s Visitor Center. The Shasta SHP is a restored historical town that remembers the northern gold rush. The buildings looked interesting from the road. California’s State Parks rival their federal counterparts.
FUN (7/10)
Do you know how to swim? You are in Redding, California, 150 miles inland and at least 500 miles from a swim-able beach. It is summer and a scorching 101° outside. Can you think of a better way to spend your day than in the crystal blue temperate waters of Whiskeytown Lake? To quote Gab, “If I lived here, I would be here everyday.” It is hard to disagree and, given the large number of people at the beach, not many did.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (3/10)This Site, while wonderful, exists primarily for the local population. There are plenty of other dammed-up lakes in California (and throughout the United States) that provide the same type of fun, recreation and 100° heat relief. Whiskeytown NRA just happens to be under National Park jurisdiction.
TOTAL 44/80
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