Red Bluff: Coleman National Fish Hatchery+Salmon Festival+Honey Bee Festival; things to do+annual event

5 north

After passing over a crest just before the town of Red Bluff, a verdant valley unfolds backed by the magnificent mountain range dominated by Mount Shasta.  

salmon swimming upstream

In town:

Honey Bee Festival 

September.  Free.
The town buzzes with excitement during this happy event, which includes a pancake breakfast, food booths, and bee-related stuff.

Nearby:

Coleman National Fish Hatchery 

24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Rd., in Anderson, 16 mi. E of I-5.  Free.
The huge Chinook, or king salmon, flap their way out of Battle Creek and up the fish ladder here four times each year.  See the fall run spawn October through mid-December; the late fall run spawn January through March; the winter run spawn May through July; and the spring run spawn August through September.  Steelhead trout spawn January through March.  Fingerlings can be seen in holding tanks in the hatchery building.  This is the largest salmon hatchery in the U.S.  A Salmon Festival occurs here each October. 

More ideas for exploring along Highway 5.

More ideas for exploring Northern California. 

image courtesy of venue