Hidden Gems to See at McConnell Arboretum Redding

Visiting McConnell Arboretum? Don’t miss these hidden gems, quiet trails, and beautiful gardens in Redding, California.

On our road trip to Northern California, we stopped for couple of days to a city of Redding. There are many hidden gems around this area that mostly locals seem to know about. It feels like everytime we stop at Redding, we find something new from close by.

Since we had already been checking out swim holes, waterfalls and hiking trails in the previous day. Today we decided stay close to downtown, and visited McConnell Arboretum & Botannical Gradens. And despite of the heath wave, it was great fun especially for our kids.

It is located in Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and has 20 acres of gardens and 200 acres of arboretum. The park was first opened in 2005.

The McConnell Arboretum was a nice little stop on our trip that didn’t take a lot of time. This place is for people who like to see different plants and flowers, and everyone who travel with kids.

MCCONNELL ARBORETUM & BOTANICAL GARDEN

McConnell Arboretum in Redding is not huge. The garden trail itself is about one mile long and it was set up based on the continents. We zig zagged around it in the different areas and enjoyed the sunny day.

I’m not sure why, but we spent the most time on Australia and Mediterranean sections.

Also the Butterfly Garden seemed to be a success since we saw many different kinds of butterflies there. And this was outdoors, they were not captured into a butterfly house or anything. Or maybe this was just a good season to see them. The plants had been chosen to attract as many different butterfly species as possible.

We especially loved the blue coloured Pipevine Swallowtail since there seemed to be many of them flying around and enjoying their life. We also saw many crickets on this trail and we had to be careful not to step on them.

The thing that surprised us the most was that the garden didn’t seem to be very well taken care of. Maybe it was due the lack of staff or something else, but it seemed like some plants were dried up and some had started to grow outside of their own areas. Many plants were missing signs so we didn’t always know what we were looking at.

Especially in a relatively small garden like this, the common cleanliness makes a big difference.

The Children’s Garden

The arboretum had also dedicated a garden for kids; The Children’s Garden. In my opinion, it was one of the best parts of our whole visit.

Right next to it was a picnic area called Picnic Grove. It was beautiful with the mosaic fountains; Mosaic Oasis, and a play structure. We did’t bring any food with us but we still sat down there. It was a great place to relax for a while and just look at the mosaics. The day was really warm with 95 Fahrenheits (+35C), so a little break was welcome.

Signs at the picnic area told us to look for different kinds of animals from the walls; turtles and such, but we were not able to find all of them. Great fun with kids!

The kids’ garden continued into a Bamboo forest. Under the little bamboo alleys we found some hidden animal characters. They were made from different materials and many of them looked pretty funny. Our kids loved them.

Some of them were ment to be sat on and some were actually instruments. A wooden alligator which was a drum set was a huge success in our family! I think my kids would have wanted to take it home if they could.

After our tour we heard something from the forest that scared us. It sounded like someone started running right next to us. A little later we saw what it was. It was a cute deer which actually got scared of us too. It stood further away and was looking at us curiously. We tried to get closer to take a photo of it but it quickly disappeared into the forest. Kids were so excited to see a deer from so close.

We walked all the way to the other end of the garden, where the trail connects you to Sacramento River Trail and where you can see Redding’s famous Sundial Bridge. Then we turned back as it was time to head out for dinner.

Where to stay and eat in Redding

We have stayed in Redding many times, and over time, our favorite place to stay has become the Best Western Plus Hilltop Inn. It is known for its especially friendly service and a truly great breakfast. The hotel also has a pleasant pool area that the kids always enjoy.

In Redding, we’ve had dinner both at the hotel’s own restaurant, which is excellent, and at the fun and casual Lumberjacks restaurant. We also always make a stop at Dutch Bros drive-through for coffee (and smoothies for kids) before hitting the road.

Another great hotel is the Hampton Inn & Suites Redding. Their room price also includes breakfast and they have a pool.

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Our visit to McConnell Arboretum was not very long but we enjoyed seeing different plants and butterflies. If you are visiting Redding and you find yourself wondering what to do, you might want to pay a quick visit there. However, there are many other attractions in Redding that I would choose over this one.

Nearby, you’ll also find the beautiful Whiskeytown Lake, where we’ve gone swimming, especially near the scenic Crystal Creek Falls. It’s definitely worth a visit but requires more time than a visit to arboretum.

We have stopped at Redding on our way to Oregon, and on our trips to Lava Beds National Monument, Crater Lake National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park. These parks are easy to combine into the same trip, and there’s even a joint pass available for all three parks. Along the way, it’s also worth stopping at what many consider California’s most beautiful waterfall: McArthur-Burney Falls.

In overall, we love visiting different gardens and arboretums. One of our favorites is Filoli Gardens close to our home back in San Francisco Bay Area. Also, Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose is amazing during the spring time!

Have you visited Redding? And do you like visiting different arboretums or gardens?