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Whiskeytown Lake and Old Shasta
As you head out of town to the west you pass by Old Shasta on your way to Whiskeytown Lake. I must admit spending a lot of time here in my 20's water skiing. Being just 8 miles west of Redding it is a quick trip. Now I'm happy to go out and enjoy Kayaking on Whiskeytown Lake. |
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This is Oak Bottom Marina at Whiskeytown Lake is located at the west end of the lake and it includes a campground, beach area, boat launch, and the marina.
Whiskeytown Lake was formed as part of the Central Valley Water Project, providing water for agriculture and was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Local creeks such as Brandy Creek provide some of the flow into the lake. Most of the water in Whiskeytown Lake comes from the Trinity River over the mountains by tunnels and penstocks to the Judge Carr Powerhouse just upstream from Oak Bottom. |
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The lake just west of Redding is viewed here from the Whiskeytown Visitors Center.
Whiskeytown Lake has 36 miles of shoreline and 3,200 surface acres for recreation. Its placid surface is excellent for swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, rowing and fishing. Sailing, water skiing and boating are also popular. Personal watercraft are prohibited on Whiskeytown, but are still allowed on nearby Shasta and Trinity Lakes. Shasta Bally (6,209 ft.) is the dominate mountain west of Redding, you can see the base of it in this photo on the left. You can see a live camera shot of the Lake as it is right now by visiting www.whiskeytowncam.com/ |
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Whiskeytown Lake is at approximately1200 feet above see level (Redding is at 560 feet) when a big and cold storm comes blowing thru, occasionally snow will blanket the area. An unusually heavy one is shown here. |
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Here you can see Mt, Bally the most dominate mountain peak to the west of Redding.
Whiskeytown Lake was formed as part of the Central Valley Water Project, providing water for agriculture and was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Local creeks such as Brandy Creek provide some of the flow into the lake. Most of the water in Whiskeytown Lake comes from the Trinity River over the mountains by tunnels and penstocks to the Judge Carr Powerhouse just upstream from Oak Bottom. |
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A few more views of the lake. |
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Whiskeytown Falls are located just west of Whiskeytown Lake .
They are located within the boundaries of Whiskeytown National Park. The falls were rediscovered in 2005 and a trail was built for the public to access them. The hike is 1.7 miles each way and you'll be in a steady and sometimes steep climb to reach your destination. An interesting feature of these falls is they curve as they traverse the slope, a bit like a portion of a circular staircase. |
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Old Shasta California
The Old Shasta Shasta State Historic Park is an interesting relic of the gold rush days and is located between Redding and Whiskeytown Lake. It is well worth a visit and you can see some of the heritage of this portion of Northern California. |
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