Located at a very historic site is a trailhead access to two trails for bicyclists and pedestrians. One trail accessed here is the Sacramento River Trail, the other is the Sacramento River Rail Trail. I was able to locate a very nice
website that highlights both these trails and reads:
Tucked away in Northern California's Shasta County is the charming town of Redding. Over the years the Bureau of Land Management, with many partners, has worked diligently to develop one of the premier trail destinations in the West. The 30-mile corridor that runs along the banks of the Sacramento River and Keswick Reservoir is the pride of Redding's trail system with the Sacramento River Rail-Trail, and the Sacramento River Trail, both National Recreation Trails. The trails offer stunning views of the river and nearby mountains—and a close-up look at one of the most breathtaking bicycle/pedestrian bridges in the country. The rail-trail is paved all the way to Shasta Dam and to the Shasta State Historic Park in Shasta, CA.
The Sacramento River Trail holds court as a favorite for many California rail-trail enthusiasts. From the Court Street trailhead you travel west along the Sacramento River. A wooded section quickly gives way to an open area with striking views of the Trinity Mountains. During the spring, the river maintains a glacial deep-blue hue from melted snow flowing down from the mountains. The river-powered mining operations during the late 1800s, and interpretive signs along the trail explain the hydraulic mining operations. You'll also see remnants of the railroad operated by the Central Pacific Railroad that once carried ore as far north as Portland, Ore.
At the 3-mile mark you come to the Sacramento River Trail Bridge, an impressive 418-foot stress ribbon bridge. Opened in 1990, it was the first bridge of its kind built in North America. The bridge is supported by 236 steel cables inside the bridge deck that are drilled into bedrock. The design allows the bridge to have a minimal impact on the natural rock lining the Sacramento River and avoids the need for piers. You can cross the bridge and head east on the other side of the river or continue another 0.5 mile to the Keswick Dam western trailhead and return.
While the southernmost 3-mile section of the trail has a gradual grade, the northern portion—which is not a rail-trail—is more undulating, with short climbs and dips. The trail meanders through an upscale neighborhood here and has a variety of local access points. The trail has a very smooth surface most of the way and gets plenty of use by walkers, runners and cyclists.
Near the 6-mile mark, you come to the old Diestelhorst Bridge. Completed in 1915 and now used exclusively by bicyclists and pedestrians, it was originally the first bridge across the Sacramento River built for automobiles. You can return to the original trailhead by crossing this bridge or you continue east along the river, where several visual treats await.
The southern end of this rail-trail links up with its neighbor, the Sacramento River Trail in Redding.
In spring the river has a glacial, deep-blue hue from melting mountain snow. The river powered mining operations during the late 1800s, and local trail maps delve into the area's history of its mining operations.
This trailhead was once home to an auto camp, a ferry stopover, as well as being the location of the first-ever automobile bridge, the Diestelhorst Bridge built in 1915 (now converted to a pedestrian bridge), to span the Sacramento River.