Highlights: Highway 49 • Moonshine Rd • Oregon Hill Rd • La Porte Rd • Oroville-Quincy Hwy • Cherokee Rd • Highway 70 • Highway 89 • Highway 49 • Moonshine Rd • Oregon Hill Rd • La Porte Rd • Oroville-Quincy Hwy • Cherokee Rd • Highway 70 • Highway 89 • Highway 36 • Mill Creek Rd • Highway 3 • Gazelle Callahan Rd • Highway 3 • Eastside Rd • Quartz Valley Rd • Scott River Rd • Highway 96 • Happy Camp • Bald Hills Rd

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Imagine a place where the roads are deserted, forgotten places of motorcycling bliss. Come experience our 4-day 2027 Memorial Day Weekend Tour riding over mountain passes, a 10,000 ft volcano, deserted twisty roads, and riding the Sierra Passes of the Northern Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Alps headed out to the Pacific Ocean. This tour route starts in Nevada City and circles Northern California. This ride takes place over Memorial Day Weekend—and what better way to spend the holiday? This tour covers a different route and a broader region than our 3 Day NorCal Tour; you may even want to do both (quite a few riders have). It's all planned for you, all you have to do is show up.

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Nevada City...

 

Ever stared at a map & declared, "I want to go there!"?
Or "I wonder where that goes?"
Or "I wonder what that road is like..." Just me?

You can trace it out on your map, highlight it, and even get a photo image of a specific corner from Google Maps. Better yet, you can ‘fly’ to & over the road via Google Earth.

But none of that, not a one, will satiate your desire, your implicit need to actually go ride it. To truly feel it, the bend in the road, the camber, the lean, the scenery, the smells, the helmet pressed against your face from riding at speed. All those fancy tools. And yet none of it is worth anything unless you actually get out there, and experience it first hand.

Let's ride the... NorCal Grand Tour. 

Northeast of Sacramento is a mountainous region just like the above, no book or description, no pic set nor software program will provide you the true sensation of the California Foothills. You have to experience it. And this tour sets off to provide you that immersion you so crave. Remember that reason you bought the motorcycle in the first place. That’s our destination. I want to go there!

But first... let’s cover some basics:

If you know anything about California and its role as the premier motorcycle destination- the reason is found in the terrain.

 

Now, where were we? Ah yes, the ride...

There are 22 Sierra Nevada Passes, or so the adage goes. And most of our attention naturally goes to the highest and the longest: namely Monitor, Ebbetts, Sonora & Tioga. We’ll ride those in June and if that’s your thing, come ride with us when the peaks are still capped in snow. However, a few miles to the north are even more mountain passes: Yuba Pass, La Porte, and the Oroville Quincy Highway. Those are the passes everyone skips- at least when we ride them, they're deserted. 

Come ride with us as we explore the northern Sierra Nevada Range, the Southern Cascades, then cross over to the other side of California to experience the Trinity Alps, the Marble Wilderness, and the Pacific Coast Range. Our tour begins in Nevada City at the edge of the Sierra Range.  

 

Nevada City is known as one of the best preserved 1850s Gold Rush towns in the Sierra Foothills. Unlike many Gold Rush towns that relied mainly on placer mining in streams, Nevada City evolved into a center for hard-rock (quartz) mining, extracting gold from deep underground veins. Mining continued for decades after the initial Gold Rush, producing millions of ounces of gold.

It also makes for the perfect launch point for a motorcycle ride. Highway 49 is just four blocks away. Known as the Mother Lode Road, Highway 49 stretches for 300 miles and connects all the mining camps.   

We actually don’t have far to go since our destination for the day is only 73 miles away as the crow flies. But, we’ll take a very zig-zaggy route to get there.

 

Spend all day to go 73 miles?

Yes. That’s what we do here.

The objective today is to ride backroads through the foothills headed northward. But we're not done. Let's also ride La Porte Rd, but double back on Oroville Quincy Rd. We actually start and end in nearly the same place, and then make our way right back into the Sierra Mountains via the Feather River Canyon.

 

That's how you spend all day just to go 73 miles.

The Longest Road(s)...

 

Highway 36 is an amazing road for motorcyclists, we have an entire motorcycle tour dedicated just to this one road. The first portion of Highway 36 headed westbound out of Red Bluff involves excellent pavement. But it's more than that. The road hugs the terrain. Roller-coaster style.

Nobody bothered to bring the bulldozer when they created this first section. Instead, it was simply graded smooth, and the road crew called it a day. The benefit is this terrain is like no other road in all of California.

Highway 36 rises and falls over low hills, then it snakes around, straightens out, then snakes around again. At first adhering to the contours of Dibble Creek, then beginning to gain elevation. Short straights offer a brief respite, then meld again into sequences of curvaceous repetition, a meadow, cows grazing alongside the road—there is a rhythm here, an order to things.

 

This is the way things should be in a perfect world.

No mountain ranges yet, but you'll be able to see them getting closer on the horizon as this hilly terrain begins to close in around you. Then, popping over the next hill, there it is—an entire mountain range, a line in the sand as it were. And your brain reactively says, That! I want that! Onward!

Highway 36 plunges into Goldsborough Gulch towards Beegum Creek curving left, curving back right in massive sweepers, then springs out of the valley through a series of thrilling lean angle 270-degree corners climbing up to the top of the range 1,000 feet in elevation to the tiny community of Platina.

Platina began life as Noble's Station in 1902, established as a stagecoach stop on the wagon road between Red Bluff and Hayfork. In the 1920s, prospectors discovered platinum in nearby Beegum Creek, and the community gradually adopted the name Platina. The post office officially became Platina in 1921. For decades through the 1990s and early 2000s, there was gas, snacks, and a place to stretch your legs.

To the south of Platina a short distance, is an unlikely place for a monastery. The Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery, one of the most well-known Orthodox Christian monasteries in North America, sits on 80 acres several miles south of Platina. It was intentionally established in such an isolated location because its founders were seeking a life of prayer, contemplation, and simplicity away from cities and distractions.

 

The monastery, interestingly, is known for publishing. The monks produce a magazine, translate early Christian writings, and translate existing books into numerous languages. Hidden in the forests just south of Platina, it's a peaceful destination that contrasts sharply with the endless sweepers and mountain curves nearby.

 

Few riders expect to find an internationally known Orthodox monastery in one of the most remote corners of Northern California, yet it has drawn pilgrims from around the world for more than half a century.

150 Miles of North-South
 

West of Platina, the terrain shifts dramatically. The low valley oak groves give way to towering pines, snow covered peaks in spring, and smooth mountain curves. This second chapter is all about isolation and elevation. The road climbs & curves, treating our riding group to spectacular sweepers that scale the center ranges. Glance north in the distance during springtime and you'll see the snow covered peaks of the Trinity Alps in the distance to the north. 

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In the center of Chapter II is the community of Wildwood. Twenty-plus years ago a local motorcycle enthusiast attempted to build a motorcycle cafe full of memorabilia and an attached restaurant for bikers and travelers alike. The cafe burnt down shortly thereafter and was never rebuilt even though the foundation of the building still remains. In present day, a small coffee shack serves up coffee, and more importantly, ice cream, making it a required stop for any Pashnit Tour group with any mention of ice cream.

 

Wildwood is also the start point of Wildwood Rd, a shortcut north to Hayfork Pass, flowing past a massive limestone natural bridge that's easy to miss. There's a tiny sign that reads, "Natural Bridge" and an arrow that points westward up a dirt road. The natural bridge is found 1 mile up a dirt road and be sure to stay left at the 'Y' if you want to seek out this unknown treasure.

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After 67 miles of non-stop twisties, the midpoint of Highway 36 is the massive intersection we call, "The Triangle." Highway 3 heads north up to Hayfork and then over the wildly undulating ride of Hayfork Pass.

 

Highway 3 actually runs northward over two mountain summits and is one of the longest north-south mountain roads in California stretching for 150 miles of curves. 

 

It's worth mentioning that Hayfork Pass is likely one of the best motorcycle roads in Northern California depending on who you ask. Naysayers will never be convinced. But... Not too long, not too short, endless twisties, knee drag corners, and minimal traffic. Be sure and read the write-up for this super-fun road.

 

We'll ride Hayfork Pass again in August.

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Last time our Pashnit group assailed Highway 36, we rode the first 76 miles to 'The Triangle' and passed just three other vehicles. Where can you do that? That means we carved 900 corners and passed three vehicles. 

 

Some regard the South Fork Mountain Summit as the mid-point of the ride, but it's not. The flat summit is 85 miles from where we started in Red Bluff, but this is where the ride changes gears for the next chapter.

Did you know that Highway 3 from 'The Triangle' to Yreka is one of the longest north-south mountain roads in Northern California at 150 miles? Highway 3 is pin-pricked with few towns or commercial centers. And actually, over the span of that 150 miles, the largest town for 150 miles is Weaverville at a mere 3600 residents. Next? Hayfork at about 2000 people. Next? Etna at 623 people. 3,600 + 2,000 + 623—carry the one—a mere 6,223 people in 150 miles, all centered in tiny mountain towns. Is any of this making sense? This region is one of the most sparsely populated regions of the state and it's crisscrossed with amazing motorcycle roads. 

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Highway 3 is long and will take several hours to ride with multiple planned stops, the first along Trinity Lake, one of Northern California's easily-missed gems.  Stretching nearly 17 miles through the rugged Trinity Alps, Trinity Lake was created by the completion of Trinity Dam in 1963, the lake stores water for California's Central Valley while offering some of the state's most spectacular mountain scenery.

 

More than 145 miles of undeveloped shoreline, countless secluded coves, and crystal-clear waters make it a favorite for NorCal outdoor enthusiasts. For we motorcyclists, Highway 3 hugs the lake's eastern shore with sweeping curves and repeating glimpses of the lake, making Trinity Lake one of the most scenic and memorable stops on any ride through the Trinity Mountains.

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On the north end of Trinity Lake along Highway 3, are piles of river rock- that stretch for miles. Those long, seemingly endless rows of smooth river rock that line Highway 3 on the north end of Trinity Lake are not natural formations. They are gold mining tailings—one of the largest and most visible remnants of California's industrial gold mining era.

During the late 1800s and especially the early 1900s, the broad Trinity River valley around present-day Trinity Center was mined extensively using bucket-line dredges. These floating machines functioned like enormous conveyor belts with hundreds of steel buckets that continuously scooped up the riverbed. The dredges processed thousands of tons of gravel each day, washing out tiny flakes of gold before dumping the remaining cobbles and smooth river rock behind them in neat, parallel windrows.

As the dredges slowly worked across the valley floor, they literally turned the Trinity River upside down, leaving miles of evenly spaced rock piles that are still visible today. Some dredges excavated more than 250,000 tons of material per month, making this one of California's largest placer mining operations. Much of the tailings in present day are covered by Trinity Lake, however, the tailings alongside Highway 3 north of the lake remain to this day, another tangible echo of California's gold mining past. 

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Highway 3 traverses the heart of the Klamath Mountains, winding through the Trinity Mountains, skirting the granite peaks of the Trinity Alps, crossing the forested Scott Mountains, and descending into the ranchlands of Scott Valley beneath the towering Marble Mountains. Few California Motorcycle Roads pass through so many distinct landscapes in such a relatively short distance- and that's just our afternoon.

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Scott Mountain arrives as a line in the sand and Highway 3 climbs to the 5400 ft summit in just a few miles through a series of tight curves and multiple switchbacks.  Climbing up the Scott Mountain Summit functions as the Inhale, and the descent down the north side functions as the exhale, gently descending into the Scott Valley and on into Yreka.

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The Ride to the Coast

Some years ago, I attempted to explain to an East Coast rider what a mile-long sweeper was.

 

He couldn’t quite process it.

"It’s a turn that lasts over a mile," I informed him. It seemed simple enough. "And then it flips back the other way and curves for another mile."

"You’re at lean the whole time?" he asked.

"Yes."

 

He couldn’t process it. I said it. He heard it. But he still couldn’t process it.

Could a road like that really exist? Endless curves that stretch for miles, even hours. If that’s your idea of motorcycle fun, then Northern California should be your destination. That sort of thing is just normal around here.

 

One word describes Highway 96: long, with endless twisties. It’s one of the more unique motorcycle roads in Northern California, suitable for all types of motorcyclists and loved by all bikers. This is a major highway connecting the interior of the NorCal Wilderness with Interstate 5, however it’s not a trucking route and those two things together make for a super-fun motorcycle destination.

The Marble Wilderness spans 242,000 acres, roughly 380 square miles or about a third the size of Rhode Island. And there's only one road paved through the region known as the Forks of Salmon. Highway 96 follows the contours of the Klamath River for many miles, producing those aforementioned mile-long sweepers. 

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It’s simply a very remote place. You know those apocalyptic movies Hollywood likes to make where the characters all run off into the wilderness to escape whatever impending doom your movie is about? This is where they are going. 

Towns are small and brief, this is where people come to retire, or escape. There’s zero industry, no major side roads to speak of and everyone is traveling Point A to Point B. There are campers to deal with, but often there is ample space to pass slower moving vehicles when needed. Every time we ride Highway 96, we have it all to ourselves. This road is a destination and we came here to ride.

 

Highway 96 meets the Klamath River at Weitchpec and continues the journey southward along the Klamath River for the rest of Highway 96 to eventually reach Willow Creek. 

So why all the hubbub about Highway 96 as a Day Ride? For one, there are only three paved roads for the 150-mile length of Highway 96 that connect anywhere. The lack of connecting roads away from Highway 96 creates the perfect isolation, but also limits access meaning minimal traffic, persons, bodies, life forms, and possibly at least one Sasquatch. It also means we always have this road, and region, all to ourselves.

But not so fast speed racer, for years we’ve made this sharp turn at the bridge and never took notice of the road that continues west on the north side of the Klamath River. Highway 169 is a dead-end road traveling 20 paved miles to Johnsons, a tiny community in the Yurok Reservation.

Technically, Highway 169 should extend all the way to the ocean following the Klamath River, but no road was ever completed along the river. The doppelganger of Highway 169 extends from Highway 101 only a few miles inland along the river and then dead ends at Klamath Glen. Too bad for the motorcyclist, the lack of a completed road in turn makes this region along the Klamath River one of the most isolated and remote regions of the state. 

The true gem though is located just outside of Weitchpec. Bald Hills Rd is found just 4 miles up the river at Martins Ferry. A post office operated at Martins Ferry from 1861 to 1862 and from 1865 to 1891. There was a military fort at this location in the 1860s. The name originates from John F. Martin, its first postmaster, who also operated a ferry across the river.

Bald Hills Rd is paved to the top of the French Camp Ridge and flows through a series of nine switchbacks before popping out of the forest near 3157 ft Coyote Peak. Starting from Weitchpec, Bald Hills Rd leads up the ridgeline and at the summit, you will find the Yurok Veterans Cemetery and reminders of the Northern California Veterans Cemetery on Gas Point Rd near Igo. The middle section of Bald Hills Rd used to include 3-miles of gravel- but no longer - the last 3 miles of gravel was paved in 2025 making Bald Hills Rd completely paved from Highway 96 to Highway 101 near Orick. 
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Bald Hills Rd connects all the way to Highway 101 and skirts the very edge of the Redwood National Forest. There are six new miles of pavement on the top of the ridgeline that made the whole trek worth it. An absolute delight! This section is famous during wildflower season for brilliant green treeless meadows of lupine flowers overlooking the adjacent ridge. Ride this with perfect weather and you'll be looking out over the Pacific Ocean in all its endless blue splendor. 

 

The NorCal Grand Tour 

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This is why we ride. Maps, satellite imagery, and high-definition screens can display every topography and elevation change across Northern California, but they will never capture the visceral reality of a lean angle into repeating sweepers, the sudden temperature drop as you plunge under a redwood canopy, or the intoxicating scent of coastal pine and river air filling your helmet. The NorCal Grand Tour isn't just another route on a GPS—it is an unfiltered, full-sensory immersion into the last truly untamed riding wilderness in the state.

From the forgotten Gold Rush passes of the northern Sierra Nevada to the roller-coaster ridges of Highway 36, the 150-mile technical workout of Highway 3, and the endless, river-carved sweepers of Highway 96 alongside the Marble Mountains, this journey delivers everything that made you fall in love with two wheels in the first place. 

You will carve over 900 corners with virtually no traffic to break your rhythm, crest isolated alpine summits, trace ancient gold-dredge tailing lines, and finally pop out above the Pacific Ocean on the freshly paved, flower-strewn crest of Bald Hills Rd. 

Stop staring at the map and wondering where that goes or what that road feels like. Throw a leg over your bike, press the starter button, and come experience the ultimate grandeur of Northern California riding.