Sundial Bridge

We love this popular spot for family walks, bike rides, and to just throw rocks in the river. The property is well maintained and Completely Free. Our kids also enjoy throwing rocks into the river!

This piece of structural engineering makes me happy. Clean, fresh and inviting, this is the centerpiece of my jogs when I’m in Redding. Both ends of this path get you to neat areas, and the fresh breeze and smell of the Sacramento river are enjoyable in any season.
I have also noticed that those I meet while wandering around here are seldom depressed. This is an important element for me, in an area with slightly a higher a than a normal Eeyore count!

Bridge completed in 2004.
Park in the visitor parking. fo’ free. The bridge is not too far from the parking lot.
It’s considered an art piece as well as an actual sundial except I overheard this chick on the bridge say the sundial part is only accurate one day a year. The internet supports that.
Over the Sacramento River. Cross by foot or by bike.
One end of the bridge is Turtle Bay Exploratorium. on the opposite end of the bridge, you can access trails and a botanical garden.

An interesting local attraction, it’s a worthwhile stop if you’re driving on the interstate since it doesn’t take any effort to get to it. There’s plenty of parking and access is free too.
The bridge itself doesn’t take you anywhere. It just crosses over a river from one side of a park to another. It’s pretty scenic though, and you can get lots of good photos around it. It’s pretty easy to get underneath it too, which I noticed some people do to chill in the shade. And although it’s a sundial and it’s meant to work during the day, they light it up at night so that it’s still worthwhile to visit then too.

It’s a real sundial, and the setting is beautiful. There is a garden a the end of the sundial bridge, but the day we went was just too hot. They also have a museum, but I was too cheap to pay about $ 16 per adult. It looked like there were some great hiking and biking trails in the area as well.
This was a nice stop on our way to Vancouver,

Beautiful and unique bridge. Convenient location right off the highway and easy access from the parking lot. When we went, it was a hot summer day! The bridge is long and of course offers no shelter from the burning sun. I should have brought a Sunbrella! Lol! Nice scenery, nice view of the Sacramento River with easy access off the trails. We only got to stay a half hour before continuing our way up to Oregon, but it was definitely a memorable quick stop over.

Sundial Bridge is almost too beautiful for California. Because of that, it is a drawing point for a number of calendar events (say, 4^th of July). It’s like a futuristic movie to walk on, like «Gattaca.» It’s like the Florida everglades view on one side, Cairns, Australia on the other. There’s a visitor center and aquarium. There’s walking paths into a light forest. In the summer, there’s old men that smell. But the reason it’s not quite a five-​star landmark is because the time-​tell feature doesn’t work like it did twenty years ago — only goes up to a certain time. Because, you know, the spot where the sun hits on the sun dial, is well, supposed to tell you what time it is without looking at your cell. Whatever, I’m a fan. #Redding-​California

First time in Redding and first time in the park. It is absolutely a must stop while in town for any reason.

Bridges are a useful way to get from Point A to Point B if it involves crossing a valley, river, gully, creek, or roadway. The best bridges have a bit of character in them. And the Sundial Bridge is oozing with character.
Hey, the Sundial Bridge is unique. Using examples from my home base, it does not have the Art Deco grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge, the rugged strength of the Carquinez Strait bridge nor the now-​being-​demolished eastern span of the Bay Bridge, the understated simplicity of the causeway from Hayward to San Mateo, or the austerity of the Richardson Bay Bridge. It does have a quirky design that also functions as the sundial that it looks like, with solid glass as its walkway. You cannot drive on it, must be walked or biked. It’s an unusual way to get from Point A (museum) to Point B (Arbortoreum) across the wide Sacramento River.
It’s hard to get a good picture of the whole thing. There may be a way to have a picture of you and the bridge so that people know that that’s the Sundial Bridge, but I haven’t figured it out yet. But Redding is proud of this bridge, promotes it, uses it in their civic advertising. It’s an unexpected functional work of art in this redneck cowtown in the Cascade foothills. But it’s a good one.

This place rocks. I came for the first time from out of town to see the first ever reggae fest $ 5cover. Wow! Easy to find&free parking. So I came back on monday while my friends were at work. Great stafe area, loads of parking. Easy beach access, to clear water with low tide areas for kids to play. Clean bathrooms. Then the bridge. Wonderful design and great photo opportunities.

We came in around noon, which was very warm. The place does not have the best scenery. However, the bridge hanging over the water makes it look magically engineered. It has convenient parking lot, and restrooms.
On the other side of the bridge you will find the river trail, makes a nice walk with your beloved dog.
Also, there is the Botanical Garden good to explore, walk through, and learn about plants.

If you are just looking for some nice scenery like we were you may be disappointed. It’s interesting but not phenomenal. If I had come with a bike I would have given it four stars and probably really loved the area.
The botanical garden was open and we quickly looked around but it’s not really the right season. We did see some hummingbirds which was awesome!
Visit with a bike!

We drove over 3 hours to see the bridge.
It’s lovely and all as you can see from the pics, but the surrounding area is the real attraction. You can take a nice hike or have a picnic lunch and the area is beautiful.

Hmmm… If you don’t see this when you are in town then I really wouldn’t know what to say to you. It’s a must see. Period. Park and walk it. Park and explore. We got lucky because we visited during a time it was lit up but a local said that only happens a handful of months. It was pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.
I dare you to go and not take a selfie or try to be artistic with you phone. So many fun angles, it won’t be hard, I promise.

I mean… I just don’t know what to say. My kids and I were more amazed at all the spiders on the bridge rather than the bridge itself. Tons of gross, huge spiders just hanging out.
Pretty area though. If we had more time, we probably would have explored the property more.

The Sundial Bridge is a piece of public art that also serves a function by linking the north and south campuses of the Turtle Bay Exploration Park; it’s also part of Redding’s Sacramento River Trail system. The bridge was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, and is the first free-​standing bridge in the United States.
These things are all well and good but they don’t really tell you how amazing looking and spectacular the bridge is in person. Sure you can sit there and look at all the great pictures taken by me and other Unilocalers, but this really is one of those things that you have to see in person. The bridge provides you spectacular views of the Sacramento River and the surrounding areas. It really does give you the feeling of floating above the water as you walk across it’s wide surface; it’s actually only 23′ wide, but feels much bigger! The Sundial portion of the bridge is also semi-​functional, but apparently only on the Summer Solstice (June 21); when I was there it was 1.5-hrs off schedule. Yeah, I know daylight savings time, and what not, but who really cares anyways? The Dial is still pretty awesome.
My only qualm with this place (and the reason I’m giving it 4-​stars instead of 5) is the glass panels that make up the floor of the bridge. The website claims they’re «skid-​free», but that’s a bunch of baloney as there’s «Slippery When Wet» signs located at both ends of the bridge. Adults should be able to navigate it just fine, but kids (who love to run) may have some issues with slippage if their parental units aren’t careful. Besides, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to cross the Sundial Bridge, anyways. You really should mosey through, soak it all in and enjoy the views.
I highly recommend everyone checking this place out at least once. It’s right off Highway 44 and only a mile west of I-​5. So, if you’re just passing through town on a road trip, or here to visit the Turtle Bay Museum, then stop on by. It’s a great spot to stretch your legs and there’s a clean bathroom on the north end. You definitely won’t regret it.

Redding Review #2
This is my second time coming to this bridge with my honey and his family.
If your in the area, this is one of the points of interest.
We visited this place during daylight and at night. The experience was different both times.
During the day you can see how the bridge looks at every angle. Walk down the pathway towards the river and see the amphitheater. I wish someone would play music, because it would broadcast up to the bridge with out needing speakers.
At the end of the bridge towards the left is the botanical gardens. You definitely need to visit this garden. The structures and plants are very interesting.
During the night. The bridge is lit up from underneath. Although you cannot see anything after crossing the bridge, its still a breathtaking sight. The time we went, it was breast cancer awareness month and the lights were pink.
The best part of coming here is, its FREE! This bridge is as spectacular as the billion dollar SF bay bridge that was recently built.
Btw-​you can’t drive across this bridge. It’s only accessible by foot or bike.