News Release

For Release:  June 12, 2007          
Contact:  Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332 or Bill Kuntz (530) 224-2100
CA-N-07-55

BLM Opens New Segment of Sacramento River Rail Trail

Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders can explore a new four-mile trail along the Sacramento River near Keswick Reservoir, with completion of a project by local volunteers and the Bureau of Land Management.
 
The Hornbeck Trail segment, named for a volunteer who was instrumental in its development, follows the path of a historic mining railroad on the east side of the river.  It features gentle grades suitable for all age groups.
 
To reach trailheads, take Market Street north from central Redding to Lake Boulevard and turn left.  Continue west approximately two miles to Quartz Hill Road, turn left and continue about a mile to the trailhead.  To reach a second trailhead, take Lake Boulevard past Quartz Hill Road and continue approximately two miles to Walker Mine Road.  Turn left and continue to the trailhead.  As with all BLM trails in the area, there is no access fee.
 
BLM Recreation Planner Bill Kuntz said credit for the trail goes largely to volunteers from the Redding Foundation and the McConnell Foundation who worked with the BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation’s Shasta Dam Area Office.
 
Volunteers named the trail segment for volunteer Chuck Hornbeck, a retired civil engineer and Shasta College engineering instructor, who was a leader in laying out the trail route and recording important historic information. 
 
“This is a great contribution to the quality of life for Shasta County residents,” said Steve Anderson, manager of the BLM Redding Field Office.  “It is the result of volunteers and government agencies from all levels cooperating to build a trail system that reflects our community’s love of the outdoors and our natural resources.”
 
The new trail is the first completed segment in a route that will eventually allow “loop” trips from Keswick Reservoir to Shasta Dam and back using paths on both sides of the river.  Outdoor enthusiasts can currently travel from Keswick Reservoir to Shasta Dam along the Sacramento River Rail Trail along the west bank.

The new trail segment follows the path of a historic mining railroad called the “Old Diggings Railroad,” the “Quartz Hill Railroad,” or the “Mammoth Mine Railroad,” said Dr. Eric Ritter, archaeologist for the Redding Field Office.  The rail line was used in the early 1900s to haul copper ore out of the surrounding mountains for processing in the smelters that were once an important part of the Redding area economy.

-BLM-

Redding Field Office     355 Hemsted Drive     Redding, CA  96002