Bite-size or bigger family adventures can be found on a variety of hikes in the topographically diverse counties of upper Northern California. Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama Counties offer a five-pack of family hiking areas, some dirt, some paved, some wheelchair accessible and some a little tiptoe into the wilderness. Wonder how you can lead your children to naturally fun physical activity this fall and winter? Want to strengthen your relationships with a little boost from nature? Load a day pack with the 10 essentials for hiking safely and let the adventures begin.
Enjoy beautiful fall and winter family hikes in the North State.
Cold Boiling Lake and Bumpass Hell Trail, Lassen Volcanic National Park – adventure hike for all ages
(Open approx. June – October, snow permitting); Shasta County
Trailhead: Kings Creek Picnic Area
Families with children of all ages can tackle this big wilderness adventure as a 1.4-mile or 5.2-mile out and back. The easy-to-moderate .7-mile trek to Cold Boiling Lake begins amongst trees blackened by the Dixie Fire and rolls down to the lush, green lake shore. Watch for small gas bubbles as the lake is a “dying” hydrothermal area. Load up the lunches or snacks to enjoy this great picnic spot. To continue the adventure, follow the 1.9-mile Bumpass Hell Trail from the lake. Climb gradually alongside Bumpass Mountain, step across splashing streams and push through the profusion of ferns and wildflowers cascading down the mountainside. The pungent smell of sulphur confirms arrival at Bumpass Hell. Keep kids close and use only the boardwalks to explore this geothermal wonderland of hissing steam vents, belching mudpots and fumaroles, signs that you are near the live volcano of Lassen.
Brad Freeman Memorial Trail – Feather River and rail exploration
(Open year-round); Butte County
Trailhead: Feather River Nature Center & Bath House, Montgomery Street/Old Ferry Road, Oroville.
Hikers and mountain bikers can take this easy 2-to-3-mile out and back (depending on where you turn around) to an old railroad tunnel. It’s part of the 41-mile Brad Freeman Memorial Trail. The hike starts with a short path over the railroad tracks and a right turn along Old Ferry Road to venture past a fish hatchery. Hug the cool Feather River and chug into an exploration of the abandoned Western Pacific train tunnel. Once used to transport supplies for building the Oroville Dam, it is safe to walk through. Want to keep going? Just follow the river.
Black Butte Recreation Area – hike, birdwatch and camp in shimmering scenery
(Camping & Day Use, 6am-9pm year-round); Glenn County
Trailheads: Main Entrance Parking. Road 200/Newville Road west of Orland.
Multiple trails with difficulty levels of easy to moderate can be accessed from the parking area. Hikers, bird watchers, campers and dogs (on leash) can follow the 3.9-mile Black Butte Lake Trail loop to immerse in nature. The Buckhorn Trail covers the west side of the recreation area, with fantastic scenery along shimmering Black Butte Lake. Best hiking is in the cooler spring and fall months; summer can be hot and exposed, so use sunscreen, wear a hat and hike in the morning hours.
Sycamore Grove – easy path for hikers, bikers and wheelchairs
(Camping & Day Use, open year-round); Tehama County
Trailhead: 1000 Sale Lane, Red Bluff.
On the banks of the Sacramento River, a four-mile paved nature trail awaits hikers, bikers and people seeking wheelchair access to grasslands, wetlands and shady areas under mature oak and sycamore trees. Looking down on the river, you may glimpse fish including Steelhead, Chinook and Striped Bass. An easy hiking and walking destination.
Box Canyon Trail – gentle walk for new or young hikers
(Open year-round, snow permitting); Siskiyou County
Trailhead: Box Canyon Dam/Lake Siskiyou, West A Barr Road, Mount Shasta City.
An easy 1.3-mile out and back makes for a good introductory hike for new or young hikers. A graveyard of old, abandoned cars off to one side keeps things interesting on this gentle walk in the woods.
Bonus!
Root Creek Trail, Castle Crags State Park – wheelchair accessible wilderness trail
(Open year-round); Shasta County
Trailhead: Vista Point Parking Lot, 20022 Castle Creek Road, Castella.
This 2.2-mile easy out and back offers a bite-size wilderness experience as it passes through Castle Crags State Park and enters the Castle Crags Wilderness. Approximately two-thirds of this mostly-level, maintained trail is wheelchair accessible, crossing seasonal streams on flat wooden bridges. The lush forest invites hikers further in to rushing Root Creek, fed by Root Creek Falls approximately one mile above. Rest and relax amongst the boulders along the creek before hiking back to the car.
Posted in: Out & About
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