Dam Builders and Anglers
Many acrimonious, and sometimes fatal, arguments took place among the early miners about water rights, but those disagreements paled in comparison to what happened when the Central Valley Project (CVP) was pushed through at the insistence of Central Valley and Southern California water users. The CVP steamrolled right over Trinity County residents and the few conservationists existing in those days, diverting water from the Trinity River to points south.
Trinity, Lewiston, and Whiskeytown Dams were completed in the early 1960s, drowning Trinity Meadows, among other things, and seriously damaging one of the finest salmon and steelhead fisheries left in California. In place of beautiful Trinity Meadows, and the opportunity to fish for salmon and steelhead, we now have the pleasure of water-skiing on red-dirt-rimmed Trinity Lake. However, all is not lost, as the Trinity River Restoration Program (trrp.net) has spearheaded efforts to enhance the fisheries habitat, and after years of serious declines, salmon and steelhead runs have shown some hope in recent years.
Recreational Enthusiasts
Except for occasional horse-mounted hunting and fishing expeditions, recreational use in the Klamath Mountains increased with the improvements of surrounding roadways in the 1920s, and a number of dude ranches and resorts sprung up around Trinity Meadows, Trinity Center, and Coffee Creek. Horses still carried most of the visitors to the backcountry until the late 1950s, when much-improved equipment and freeze-dried food encouraged a backpacking boom. Today, backpackers far outnumber equestrians. Rafting on some of the major rivers in the area, such as the Klamath, Trinity, and upper Sacramento, has become a very popular outdoor activity as well.
Rafters on the Trinity River
Access, Facilities, and Supplies
As transportation alternatives are fairly limited in this area, the private automobile remains the easiest mode of getting to the trailheads. Both Redding and Eureka have limited commercial airline service and rental cars available at their respective airports (tinyurl.com/reddingairport, flyhumboldt.org). Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train stops in Redding, Dunsmuir, and Yreka, where rental cars are available. Greyhound offers bus service between Arcata and Redding.
Highways, Cities, and Towns
Redding, Eureka, and Yreka are the closest cities of any substantial size to the areas covered in this guide. The small town of Weaverville is the point of departure for many of the trips in the Trinity Alps. The even smaller community of Etna serves the same purpose for most trips into the Russian Wilderness. The I-5 towns of Dunsmuir and Mount Shasta are the closest communities to trailheads in Castle Crags State Park and Castle Crags Wilderness.
CITIES AND TOWNS ALONG CA 299: REDDING TO WILLOW CREEK
Redding is a little more than 200 miles north of the San Francisco Bay Area, 160 miles from Sacramento, and 545 miles from Los Angeles. The city straddles the Sacramento River near I-5 and the junctions of CA 229 and 44. Plenty of options exist in this town of 90,000 people for motels, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and commercial campgrounds. The best place for backpacking and hiking gear is Hermit’s Hut at 3184 Bechelli Lane (888-507-4455, hermitshut.com). Shasta-Trinity National Forest headquarters is located in Redding at 3544 Avtech Parkway (530-226-2500, fs.usda.gov/main/stnf). The Whiskeytown Unit of Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is 8 miles west of Redding on CA 299.
Weaverville is 45 miles west of Redding via CA 299. From Weaverville, CA 299 continues westbound toward Willow Creek and access to trailheads on the south side of the Trinity Alps, while CA 3 heads north from the center of town to access trailheads on the east side of the Trinity Alps.
Historic buildings dating from gold rush days line the main street of the quaint town, with exterior spiral staircases from arcaded sidewalks to second stories adding a charming touch. The redbrick Trinity County Courthouse, in the center of town at 11 Court St., is more than a century old. The old buildings in this part of town are filled with shops, art galleries, restaurants, and even a wine tasting room. Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park (630 Main St.; 530-623-5284, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=457) boasts a Taoist temple that is the oldest continuously used Chinese house of worship in the state. Close by, the Jake Jackson Memorial Museum (508 Main St.; 530-623-5211, trinitymuseum.org) chronicles the early days of settlement and the subsequent mining boom.
Dogwoods and Trinity Lake
Photo: Luther Linkhart
This small town of 3,600 souls is the seat of government for Trinity County and boasts one of the few operating sawmills left in California. Weaverville’s economic health depends on recreation and tourism, and so visitors have many options for motels, restaurants, gas stations, and stores.
A pre- or post-trip meal at one of the many dining establishments lining Main Street, where CA 299 runs through town, is a common practice. Although franchises have recently spread their tentacles into the area (Burger King, Round Table, Starbucks, and Subway), plenty of independent restaurants still remain, especially in the historic section. La Casita (252 Main St.; 530-623-5797) is a tiny Mexican restaurant with a fine menu and ample portions for those with a big appetite. Another restaurant of note in the historic section of town is Red Dragon, a Chinese–Thai establishment appropriately located across from the Joss House (401 Main St.; 530-623-5370). Fresh and wholesome deli fare is available from Trinideli, just off the main drag (201 Trinity Lakes Blvd., 530-623-5856, trinideli.com). Susie’s Bakery (1260 Main St.; 503-623-5223) is the town’s traditional bakery, where you can pick up standard carbo-loading fare. Promisingly, Trailhead Pizza, whose Coffee Creek location is justifiably famous for its pies, has recently opened a restaurant on the east side of town (160 Nugget Lane; 530-623-4436).
On the east part of town is the area’s only bona fide shopping mall (housing the Burger King, Starbucks, and Subway, with Round Table directly across the street). The highlight for hikers is Holiday Market (1665 Main St.; 530-623-2494), an excellent grocery store that’s especially well stocked with a diverse assortment of food products for a town of this size. About the only thing lacking from a backpacker’s perspective is a selection of freeze-dried foods. A few doors down from the grocery store, Trinity Outdoors (1615 Main St.; 530-623-4999) specializes mainly in hunting and fishing gear but also carries a modest selection of camping and hiking supplies, along with maps, books, and clothing.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest has a district office west of the historic district on the south side of the highway, at 210 Main St. (530-623-1700). Self-issue wilderness permits, as well as information sheets about trails, campgrounds, and natural history, can be obtained from the display immediately outside the front door. During business hours you can usually get updated information from the rangers, and you can purchase relevant maps and books.
Weaverville has no commercial campgrounds in town but several good public options nearby. If you’re camping with a large group, try the USFS’s all-year East Weaver Group Campground, a couple of miles north of the airport on East Weaver Creek Road ($110 per night; water, vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits; 877-444-6777,
