Looking for a way to share the beauty of fall in Redding with friends and family? Take a visit to the Great Ledge - one of the Redding Land Trust’s earliest acquisitions - and a trail that leads to one of the most spectacular views in Redding. It’s a fun trail for families and novices, and takes about 1 hour to complete.

There is parking space for five cars at the Tudor Road end of Dayton Road, across from the trail head.

The trail begins a little way down the first driveway on the left coming from Tudor Road, and begins with a walk over some wood walkways. Follow the white blazes through the woods and over a stone wall, where you come to an intersection and have to choose left or right. The Book of Trails suggests going left for the most dramatic views, so we did, and it did not disappoint. It's a pretty walk, with mild elevation and dramatic views over the reservoir. There are two spots for a clear view and someone built a nice bench to sit and enjoy the view. This would be a nice spot to bring a lunch on a beautiful day. Continue along the trail, following the white blazes toward the right (there is an intersection with another trail through Devil's Den, with a white blaze, but continue toward the right).

You can extend your walk by crossing Dayton to the trail that begins on the same side as the parking area. Follow the white blazes across the stone wall, then follow the blue blazes along the hilly, wetlands trail that ends next to the reservoir, with a lovely water view. This additional section takes about 15 minutes each way. The hills are a bit more challenging than the trail to the great ledge, but it offers a different view of the reservoir.