California State Route 96
Encyclopedia
State Route 96 follows the Trinity
and Klamath River
s in Northern California. For most of the route it goes through the Karuk Tribal Reservation
, the Yurok Tribal Reservation
, and the Hoopa Tribal Reservation
. Over half of the length is the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, passing through "the region boasting the most sightings of Bigfoot
of anywhere in the country" according to the National Scenic Byways Program.
. However, it is not a scenic highway as defined by Caltrans.
The route begins at a junction with State Route 299
, the Trinity Highway, in Willow Creek
. It heads north, running parallel to the Klamath River
, and exits the Trinity National Forest
, nearing Hoopa
. At Weitchpec
, the route intersects State Route 169 and turns northeast into the Six Rivers National Forest
. The highway passes through Orleans
and turns more northerly after intersecting Salmon River Road. Passing through Happy Camp
, SR 96 enters the Klamath National Forest
. After passing through Gottsville, the route exits the national forest. It intersects State Route 263
, which heads south toward Yreka
. Picking up the designation of Interstate 5 Business, SR 96 turns north. Passing the Randolf Collier Safety Roadside Rest Area, the route meets its terminus at Interstate 5
.
{|class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|Humboldt
HUM 0.00-R44.98
|Willow Creek
|0.00
|
|
|-
|Hoopa
|
|Bair Road
|
|-
|Weitchpec
|23.09
| – Martins Ferry
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Siskiyou
SIS R0.00-105.82
|Somes Bar
|
|Salmon River Road – Forks of Salmon
, Cecilville
, Etna
|
|-
|Happy Camp
|41.10
|Main Street
|
|-
|
|71.33
|Scott River Road – Scott Bar
, Fort Jones
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|103.41
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|West end of I-5 Bus. overlap
|-
|
|
|.svg.png)
Klamathon Road to I-5 south – Redding
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|105.82
|bgcolor=#ddffdd| – Portland
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; east end of I-5 Bus. overlap
Trinity River (California)
The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northwestern California in the United States. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains, northwest of the Sacramento Valley...
and Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
s in Northern California. For most of the route it goes through the Karuk Tribal Reservation
Karuk
Karuk is an indigenous people of California in the United States.The tribal headquarters, located off State Route 96, is in the town of Happy Camp, California. Currently the tribe has three tribal board meeting places, in Yreka, Happy Camp, and Orleans...
, the Yurok Tribal Reservation
Yurok tribe
The Yurok, whose name means "downriver people" in the neighboring Karuk language, are Native Americans who live in northwestern California near the Klamath River and Pacific coast...
, and the Hoopa Tribal Reservation
Hupa
Hupa, also spelled Hoopa, are a Native American tribe in northwestern California. Their autonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinookwa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return." The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe; however, some Hupa are...
. Over half of the length is the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, passing through "the region boasting the most sightings of Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
of anywhere in the country" according to the National Scenic Byways Program.
Route description
This route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway SystemState Scenic Highway System (California)
The State Scenic Highway System is a list of highways, mainly state highways, that have been designated by the California Department of Transportation as scenic highways. The California State Legislature, primarily through Section 263 of the Streets and Highways Code, makes highways eligible for...
. However, it is not a scenic highway as defined by Caltrans.
The route begins at a junction with State Route 299
California State Route 299
State Route 299 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs across the northern part of the state. It runs from Arcata on the Pacific Ocean to the border with Nevada. Between Arcata and Redding, Route 299 junctions with State Route 96 and is briefly co-signed with State Route 3. In...
, the Trinity Highway, in Willow Creek
Willow Creek, California
Willow Creek is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 1,710 at the 2010 census, down from 1,743 at the 2000 census....
. It heads north, running parallel to the Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
, and exits the Trinity National Forest
Trinity National Forest
Trinity National Forest was established as the Trinity Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in California on April 26, 1905 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 it gave up some acreage to California National Forest. In 1954 it was combined administratively with...
, nearing Hoopa
Hoopa, California
Hoopa is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 328 feet . The ZIP Code is 95546....
. At Weitchpec
Weitchpec, California
Weitchpec is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 361 feet...
, the route intersects State Route 169 and turns northeast into the Six Rivers National Forest
Six Rivers National Forest
Six Rivers National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the northwestern corner of California. It was established on July 1, 1947 by U.S. President Harry S. Truman from portions of Klamath, Siskiyou and Trinity National Forests. Its over one million acres of land contain a variety of...
. The highway passes through Orleans
Orleans, California
Orleans , Karuk name Panamnik, is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located northeast of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 404 feet...
and turns more northerly after intersecting Salmon River Road. Passing through Happy Camp
Happy Camp, California
Happy Camp is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2010 census....
, SR 96 enters the Klamath National Forest
Klamath National Forest
Klamath National Forest is a national forest, in the Klamath Mountains, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension into southern Jackson County in Oregon. The forest contains continuous stands of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas fir, red fir, white fir and...
. After passing through Gottsville, the route exits the national forest. It intersects State Route 263
California State Route 263
State Route 263 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Siskiyou County. It is also part of Business Loop 5 due to being a parallel route of Interstate 5 to the west. Route 263 connects Route 3 near the north city limits of Yreka to Route 96 eight miles north. It was once part of...
, which heads south toward Yreka
Yreka, California
Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 7,765 at the 2010 census, up from 7,290 at the 2000 census.- History:...
. Picking up the designation of Interstate 5 Business, SR 96 turns north. Passing the Randolf Collier Safety Roadside Rest Area, the route meets its terminus at Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in California
Interstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan...
.
Major intersections
- Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.
{|class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|Humboldt
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
HUM 0.00-R44.98
|Willow Creek
Willow Creek, California
Willow Creek is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 1,710 at the 2010 census, down from 1,743 at the 2000 census....
|0.00
|
|
|-
|Hoopa
Hoopa, California
Hoopa is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 328 feet . The ZIP Code is 95546....
|
|Bair Road
|
|-
|Weitchpec
Weitchpec, California
Weitchpec is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 361 feet...
|23.09
| – Martins Ferry
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Siskiyou
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
SIS R0.00-105.82
|Somes Bar
Somes Bar, California
Somes Bar or Sommes Bar, is an unincorporated community in Siskiyou County, California, United States. Somes Bar is located on the Salmon River northwest of Forks of Salmon. Somes Bar has a post office with ZIP code 95568, which opened in 1875. Somes Bar is named after George Somes, who found...
|
|Salmon River Road – Forks of Salmon
Forks of Salmon, California
Forks of Salmon is an unincorporated community of Siskiyou County in northern California, USA. The town is situated at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Salmon River, hence its name. The ZIP Code is 96031...
, Cecilville
Cecilville, California
Cecilville is a small unincorporated community in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is on the south fork of the Salmon River and was established when the area was settled by miners during the Gold Rush.-External links:*...
, Etna
Etna, California
Etna is a city in the Scott Valley area of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 737 at the 2010 census, down from 781 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
|
|-
|Happy Camp
Happy Camp, California
Happy Camp is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2010 census....
|41.10
|Main Street
|
|-
|
|71.33
|Scott River Road – Scott Bar
Scott Bar, California
Scott Bar is an unincorporated community in Siskiyou County, California, United States. Scott Bar is located on the Scott River west of Yreka. Scott Bar has a post office with ZIP code 96085. According to the 2000 census, ZIP Code 96085 had a population of 68. The post office opened as Scott River...
, Fort Jones
Fort Jones, California
Fort Jones is a city in the Scott Valley area of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 839 at the 2010 census, up from 600 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|103.41
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|West end of I-5 Bus. overlap
|-
|
|
|
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|105.82
|bgcolor=#ddffdd| – Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; east end of I-5 Bus. overlap