of the line, which explains
the unrivaled collection
of 19th-century Chinese
stage finery. The Feather
River Ranger District
(%530-534-6500; 875
Mitchell Ave; h8am-4:30pm
Mon-Fri) is also in town;
they issue permits and
have a handout detailing
historic stops along the
Byway. The nearby Lake
Oroville Recreation Area
is an excellent place to
hike, camp and hook bass.
Climb the 47ft-observation
tower and look west at
smallest mountain range
in the world, the Sutter
Buttes.
54 p251
The Drive » Take Hwy 70
into the granite gorge passing
hydroelectric plants, mountain
tunnels and historic bridges,
including the Pulga Bridge.
Four miles past the red bridge
to Belden turn off Hwy 70 onto
Rich Bar Rd, on your right.2 Rich Bar
Although the so-called
Golden Chain, Hwy 49,
is still further up the
road, the Feather River
area was dotted with its
own rough-and-ready
encampments of fortune
hunters. One of the most
successful of these was
the aptly named Rich
Bar, where little remains
today except a crumbling
graveyard and a historic
marker. The quiet place
wasn’t so tame in the
1850s, when a resident
named Dame Shirley
chronicled life at Rich
Bar as a part of her
fascinating diary of life
in California gold towns.
Published as The Shirley
Letters, her letters paint
Rich Bar as a chaotic
place of bloody accidents,
a couple of murders,
mob rule enforced by
horsewhipping and
hanging, an attempted
suicide and a fatal duel.
And she was only here a
single month!The Drive » Continue the
lovely drive on Hwy 70, catching
quick views of Lassen and
Shasta peaks in the rearview
mirror. Go north on Hwy 89
to reach the south shore of
Lake Almanor. Follow the shore
around the lake clockwise (left).3 Lake Almanor
This artificial lake is a
crystalline example of
California’s beautiful,
if sometimes awkward,
conservation and land-
management policy:
the lake was created by
the now-defunct Great
Western Power Company
and is now ostensibly
owned by the Pacific Gas
& Electric Company. The
lake is surrounded by
lush meadows and tall
pines, most of it is the
Lassen National Forest
and Caribou Wilderness
area. Both offer quiet
camping with a free
permit from the Lassen
National Forest Almanor
Ranger Station (%530-
258-2141; 900 E Hwy 36;
h8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri). The
main town near the lake
is Chester, and though
you could whiz right by
and dismiss it as a few
blocks of nondescript
roadside storefronts,
don’t – it’s not. This
robust little community
has a fledgling art scene,
decent restaurants
and some comfy places
to stay. You can rent
bicycles for a cruise
along the lake at Bodfish
Bicycles & Quiet
Mountain Sports (%530-
258-2338; 152 Main St; bike hire
per hour/day $10/33).54 p251
TRIP HIGHLIGHTl
Highway 49
Through
Gold Country
More swimming holes,
wild history lessons and
winding byways await for
those who connect to the
‘Golden Chain.’ Link to
Hwy 49 in Downieville.
c
Volcanic
Legacy
Scenic Byway
Find the headwaters
of some of California’s
other scenic waterways
and skirt the volcanic
domes of Shasta and
Lassen. Follow signs
in Chester for Lassen
Volcanic National Park,
the first stop of that trip.
LINK
YOUR
TRIPCENTRAL.CALIFORNIA..23
.FEATHER RIVER SCENIC BYWAY