Feather River Canyon

Highway 70 follows the Feather River through a spectacular gorge as it descends from the high Sierra to the Sacramento Valley. The canyon walls rise hundreds of feet on either side, the river runs fast and clear through the rocks below, and the Union Pacific railroad tracks wind along the opposite bank through tunnels and across trestles. It is one of the more dramatic drives in California.

The canyon is at its most dramatic between Quincy Junction and Oroville, about 65 miles. Allow at least two hours for the drive if you stop at the viewpoints and the road-side swimming holes. The North Fork of the Feather River is excellent for whitewater kayaking in spring when flows are high.

things to do sight
A story
The Western Pacific Railroad carved its way through this canyon between 1905 and 1909, completing the last major transcontinental railroad in the United States. The surveyors called it the "Feather River Route" and marketed it as the scenic alternative to the Central Pacific. Trains still run through the canyon today, though now as freight only — the passenger service was discontinued in 1970.