Redding (pop. 81,000) is notable not for its contents, but for its surroundings. Perched at the northernmost end of California's central Sacramento Valley, Redding is surrounded on three sides by the astonishing beauty of northern California. Mount Shasta, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevadas: these names are famous not just in California, but across the country.

The centerpiece of tourism here is the "three Shastas." Mount Shasta, one of the most impressive peaks in the country, is a dormant volcano whose rim reaches over 14,000 feet into the sky. Popular with hikers and climbers, the snowcapped peak of Shasta dominates the skyline for miles around. Lake Shasta, just a few miles outside Redding, is a large lake popular with Californians for its houseboats and water sports. The man made lake is contained by Shasta Dam, the second largest concrete structure in the United States and a popular tourist stop in its own right.

Surrounded by all this beauty, the town of Redding itself is a quiet and unassuming contrast to the bustle of cities farther south. The Sacramento River passes through town, dividing the city proper from a number of spread-out suburbs. Though a small community by California standards, Redding is stocked with plenty of places for travelers to stay, eat, and shop.

Redding is located in north central California along Interstate 5.