Web guide to a Northern Calif. road trip

By ROGER PETTERSON, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 5, 3:33 PM ET

Looking for a road trip getaway? Consider heading for the far northern end of California and taking a scenic drive along the Trinity River, following a highway that connects volcano country in the east to the Pacific Coast in the west. You might want to plot your travels ahead of time because there are plenty of side trips and other distractions that will demand your attention.

You can get there by driving north up the Sacramento Valley on Interstate 5 to Redding — http://www.visitredding.org/ — a handy hub for exploring the scenery across the region. You could easily spend your entire trip in the Redding area; look for the "waterfalls" link for a guide to a dozen spectacular cascades, and "Sacramento River National Recreation Trail" for descriptions of long and short hikes all over the region. Check out "Things to See and Do" for more ideas including caves and Shasta Lake, which has some 360 miles of shore and fish to spare. If you're planning to travel in the near future, the downtown Christmas Spectacular — http://www.vivadowntown.org/ — is set for Nov. 23 to Dec. 25.

Before you swing west along the Trinity River, it would be worth your while to take a side trip east of Redding to hit at least part of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway — http://www.volcaniclegacybyway.org/ — which takes you from Lassen Volcanic National Park — http://www.nps.gov/lavo/ — north to Mount Shasta in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest — http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/. Then, if you have time, go to Crater Lake National Park — http://www.nps.gov/crla/ — in Oregon. Just remember to keep an eye on the weather; these mountains collect heavy snow in winter.

When you can tear yourself away from the Redding area and the volcanoes, it's time to turn west on California 299 and the Trinity Scenic Byway — http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2194/ — a 140-mile route winding through the woods and mountains along the Trinity River. You could drive it in about four hours from Redding to Arcata on the coast, but you might want to stop frequently to enjoy the scenery. There isn't much in the photo gallery, but the two stories about the byway are helpful, and you need to look at maps and "Visitor Services."

Just a few minutes west of Redding, the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area — http://www.nps.gov/whis/ — holds Whiskeytown Lake, waterfalls, hiking trails, campgrounds and horseback riding. Join a ranger-guided kayak tour or gold panning demonstration.

One side trip to consider is the winding Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway — http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2193/ — which turns north at Weaverville with views of the Trinity Alps and Trinity Lake. At the far end, you could pick up Interstate 5 back to Redding.

The Trinity route runs through Trinity County — http://www.trinitycounty.com/ — with towns like Hayfork and the gold rush town of Weaverville, which holds a March chocolate festival. Click on "Outposts in Paradise" for profiles of the county's villages, including Hyampom, known for its Asian pears and fishing in the South Fork of the Trinity, and the gold panning around Junction City. Look under "Fishing Report" for details on pursuing trout and salmon. If you're not sure you want to stop anywhere, just click on "Trinity County Photo Gallery" to see what you'll miss.

Need more ideas to fill a longer visit? Visit the "12 Regions" section of the California Travel & Tourism Commission — http://tinyurl.com/2eetb3 — and click on North Coast and Shasta Cascade. The North Coast chapter comes with a detailed map. For both regions, look to the lower left corner for "Inside Scoops " with suggestions on things to do such as standing in the mist of the 129-foot McArthur-Burney Falls.