Neigh­bor­ing Regions

One of the orig­i­nal Cal­i­for­nia coun­ties, Colusa Coun­ty is home to the Colusa Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, a pop­u­lar spot for hik­ing, wildlife watch­ing, and hunt­ing. In Williams, relax at the Wilbur Hot Springs or dine at Granzella’s Restau­rant, a long-time favorite.

Learn more at Coun​ty​of​Co​lusa​.org.

With its loca­tion in the Sacra­men­to Val­ley and deep agri­cul­tur­al roots, Glenn Coun­ty is the place for a more rur­al expe­ri­ence. In Wil­lows, you can explore the Sacra­men­to Nation­al Wildlife Refuge and go hik­ing, hunt­ing, and bird­watch­ing. Learn more about the area at the offi­cial vis­i­tor cen­ter with its wildlife exhib­it and Dis­cov­ery Room. For adren­a­line-seek­ers, the Thun­der­hill Race­way Park is a pre­mière motor­sport com­plex and hosts the 25 Hours of Thun­der­hill, the longest auto race in the coun­try, every Decem­ber. And in Orland — the Queen Bee Cap­i­tal of North Amer­i­ca and the 40^th Bee City USA — you can get your buzz on at the one-of-a-kind Hon­ey­bee Dis­cov­ery Center.

Learn more at Coun​ty​of​Glenn​.net.

Locat­ed in por­tions of Shas­ta, Lassen, Plumas, and Tehama coun­ties, the Lassen Vol­canic Nation­al Park is a hiss­ing, boil­ing, vol­canic won­der­land in Upstate Cal­i­for­nia. Home to all four types of vol­ca­noes— shield, com­pos­ite, cin­der cone, and plug dome — the park is full of hydrother­mal activ­i­ty, which is on full dis­play at Bumpass Hell, Sul­phur Works, and Devil’s Kitchen. But you’ll also find crys­talline lakes and calm mead­ows, scenic hik­ing trails, and great spots for win­ter sports through­out the park.

Learn more at the Nation­al Park Service.

The sparse­ly pop­u­lat­ed Plumas Coun­ty is per­fect for turn­ing off your cell phone and explor­ing a more relaxed way of life, with more than 75% of the county’s land des­ig­nat­ed to nation­al for­est. Enjoy time by the water at Lake Almanor, a pop­u­lar week­end retreat for those liv­ing in Butte Coun­ty. The views of Lassen Peak are worth the dri­ve alone! In Quin­cy, you’ll find an abun­dance of small-town charm fea­tur­ing pre­served Vic­to­ri­an build­ings on Main Street and the Plumas Coun­ty Museum. As you take a scenic dri­ve along High­way 70, Graea­gle is a per­fect spot to stop for out­door explo­rations, while Chester is a con­ve­nient jump­ing-off point for Lassen Vol­canic Nation­al Park and the Vol­canic Lega­cy Scenic Byway.

Learn more at Plumas​Coun​ty​.org.

If you take High­way 99 to Butte Coun­ty, you’ll dri­ve through Sut­ter Coun­ty. The county’s largest city, Yuba City, is a pop­u­lar rest stop dur­ing road trips as well as the home of a Sikh tem­ple, local farm stands, hik­ing and wildlife areas, and more. Most notably, it’s home to the Sut­ter Buttes, a well-known fea­ture along the Butte Coun­ty hori­zon. Sacred to the Maidu tribe, the Sut­ter Buttes are on pri­vate land, though you can vis­it them on guid­ed tours pro­vid­ed by Mid­dle Moun­tain Inter­pre­tive Hikes. You can also enjoy a trip through Yuba Coun­ty if you’re tak­ing High­way 70, which will take you through Olive­hurst, Lin­da, and Marysville.

Learn more at Vis​i​tYuba​Sut​ter​.com.

Dis­cov­er strong west­ern her­itage in Tehama Coun­ty. Held annu­al­ly since 1921, the Red Bluff Round-Up is the largest three-day rodeo in the U.S., draw­ing thou­sands of vis­i­tors to the city every April. The city of Red Bluff is also con­sid­ered a gate­way to Lassen Vol­canic Nation­al Park. Near­by Corn­ing is often referred to as the ​“Olive Cap­i­tal of the World” (or more mod­est­ly, ​“Olive City”), and hosts the Corn­ing Olive Fes­ti­val every Octo­ber. The Olive Pit, a gourmet gro­cery store, is also a pop­u­lar ​“pit” stop dur­ing dri­ves along Inter­state 5.

Learn more at Co​.tehama​.ca​.us.