Cycle the Uncrowded Country Roads of Northern California's Scott Valley

One of Northern California's best cycling locations issecond longest in California. The Scott Valley has a
the little known Scott Valley. Bicyclists can explorehistory packed with gold rush lore and a legacy of
uncrowded roads with spectacular views oflogging. With the Gold Rush long put to bed and the
mountains, rivers and pastoral valleys. Sequesteredtimber industry fading, the country roads are becoming
from the bustle of the Interstate 5 corridor, riders ina cyclist's heaven.
Scott Valley may see deer crossing the road aheadThe Valley's small towns, Fort Jones, Etna and
of them, witness salmon jumping during the fallCallahan, provide access to a variety of routes for
upstream migration or get lost in the rustle and splashriders of all levels. Within the Valley, country roads
of unfettered rivers.meander past fields of alfalfa and wild rice while river
A two-hour drive north of Redding, California and westand mountain rides lead out of the valley along paved
of Interstate 5, the Scott Valley is home to smallroads that used to rumble with the constant passing of
towns, country roads and sweeping vistas. This tinylog trucks. These roads now see little traffic except
valley is tucked between a number of mountaincyclists, hikers traveling to trailheads for the Marble
ranges, including the Marble, Scott and SalmonMountain and Russian Wilderness Areas and the
Mountains and provides access to routes along threePacific Crest Trail, and river rafters seeking the big
Wild and Scenic Rivers, including the Klamath, thewater of the Cal Salmon.