Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail

In the Tahoe National Forest off of Gold Lakes Road
Sierra City, California 96125
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Hang onto you hat—the views if not the wind will sweep you away on this dramatic day hike to a fire lookout with a railed stairway leading to the top. You might not want to make the final ascent with your pup, but he's more than welcome on the rest of the steep, five-mile trek up from Packer Lake at 6,220 feet. Elevation gain to the top of the crags is 2,367-foot vertical feet. This is considered one of the top day-hikes in the state, almost on par with Half Dome. Sutter Buttes is a stupendous formation at the center of the Lakes Basin Recreation Area.

From the Gold Lake Highway off of Highway 49 (turn north at Bassetts Station), drive 1.4 iles to Sardine Lake/Packer Lake Road. Bear right past Packer Lake and bear left at a fork. Continue to a parking area. The trail starts as a jeep road; follow it to the trail proper.

Sierra County

Downieville, California <br/> Photo Credit: @bernies_best

Downieville, California
Photo Credit: @bernies_best

Historic Highway 49 in the north starts in the Sierra County town of Vinton and winds south through a mountainous region where the rivers still run free. Even during the summer high season, this county of fewer than 4,000 souls is off the beaten track for most visitors. In fall, it can feel like your own private realm. Set up basecamp in Downieville, a Gold-Rush town on the Yuba River, and prepare to be charmed. more »

Get Your Buttes in Gear

Exploring the Sierra Buttes. Photo Credit: @theadventuresofbeezus

Looking for somewhere cool (in more ways than one) for you and your dog to collect yourselves this summer? The Lakes Basin Recreation Area straddles Plumas and Sierra counties about 70 miles north of Lake Tahoe. It's truly a land of lakes, with more than four dozen pools of blue scattered in granite-strewn, glacier-carved landscapes laced with hundreds of miles of dog-friendly hiking trails. more »

Dogs Love Downieville

Photo Credit: snot_posse (CC)

Do you like to fish, hike, get away from it all? Plan a spring getaway to Downieville, a historic community set amidst some of the most gorgeous scenery in the Northern California. You’ll beat the summer rush and revel in peaceful, scenic surroundings, often with the soothing sound of the North Yuba River as a backdrop. more »

Sniffing Out Scenery In Sierra County

Even during the summer high season, Sierra County, home to fewer than 4,000 souls, is off the beaten track for most Northern California travelers. In fall, it can feel like your own private realm. Pack a suitcase, pop Max and Moxie into the car and embark on a 170-mile loop trip along the Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway to explore this rugged, less-visited part of Gold Country.

The first part of the route springs north from Interstate 80 to follow Highway 49 through Grass Valley and Nevada City. From there it charts a winding, 44-mile course to Downieville, one of the hands-down most charming, history-steeped towns in the Mother Lode. The rushing North Yuba River is scenic centerpiece for pet-friendly lodging at places including Sierra Streamside Cabins, the Lure Resort, Riverside Inn and Downieville Loft. more »

Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail

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