State Route 89 (SR 89) is a
state highway in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
that travels in the north–south direction, serving as a major thoroughfare for many mountain communities in the
Sierra Nevada and the
Cascade Range. It starts from
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
near
Topaz Lake
Topaz Lake is a reservoir located on the California-Nevada border, about south of Reno. The census-designated place of Topaz Lake, Nevada, is located along its northwest shore.
The modern reservoir was formed by diverting waters from the West ...
, winding its way up to the
Monitor Pass
Monitor Pass (el. 8,314 ft / 2,534 m) is a high mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada southeast of Lake Tahoe. It is traversed by State Route 89 near that highway's southern terminus at U.S. Route 395 near the community of Topaz. W ...
, down to the
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long although the addition of the East Fork makes the total length , traversing five counties: Alpine Coun ...
, and up again over the
Luther Pass
Luther Pass (el. 7,740 ft. / 2,359 m) is a mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada, between the Carson River basin to the southeast and Lake Tahoe to the northwest. It is traversed by State Route 89 and lies on the boundary between ...
. From that point on, the route generally loses elevation on its way past
Lake Tahoe, through
Tahoe and
Plumas National Forests until
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor is a large reservoir in northwestern Plumas County, northeastern California, United States. The reservoir has a capacity of and a maximum depth of about 90 feet (27 meters). It is formed by Canyon Dam on the North Fork of the Feath ...
. For roughly nine miles the route is then a part of
State Route 36. The route then ascends to the
Morgan Summit
Morgan Summit is a mountain pass on a road shared by Highway 89 and Highway 36 in Tehama County, California. The pass is located in between the town of Mineral and Childs Meadow south of Lassen Peak and Lassen Volcanic National Park
Las ...
. After it enters
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is an American national park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Lassen Vol ...
it continues to gain elevation until it reaches its highest point in an unnamed pass in the middle of
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak ( ), commonly referred to as Mount Lassen, is a lava dome volcano and the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of the Western United States. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, it is part of the ...
and
Bumpass Mountain. The road then descends and heads northwest, finally terminating at
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
at the foot of
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta ( Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of , it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades ...
at around .
[ Google Earth elevation for ]GNIS
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...
coordinates.
Route description
SR 89 begins at an intersection with
US 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
. The highway goes west through a few switchbacks before crossing into
Alpine County
, other_name =
, settlement_type = County
, image_skyline =
, image_flag = Flag of Alpine County, California.svg
, flag_size =
, image_seal = Seal of Alpine Co ...
and the
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
The route over
Monitor Pass
Monitor Pass (el. 8,314 ft / 2,534 m) is a high mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada southeast of Lake Tahoe. It is traversed by State Route 89 near that highway's southern terminus at U.S. Route 395 near the community of Topaz. W ...
is typically closed during the winter due to snow accumulation.
SR 89 continues by
Heenan Lake before intersecting with the eastern end of
SR 4 and turning northwest, passing through
Markleeville
Markleeville (formerly, Markleville) is a census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Alpine County, California, United States. The population was 210 at the 2010 census, up from 197 at the 2000 census.
History
Jacob J. Marklee founded ...
. SR 89 continues northwest to the town of
Woodfords, where it turns west, running concurrently with
SR 88 for a brief distance before turning into
El Dorado County
El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...
.
The section of SR 89 from SR 88 north to US 50 is co-signed as
US 50 Alternate for use as a detour for when US 50 closes.
The highway continues north to
Meyers
Meyers is a surname of English origin; many branches of the Meyers family trace their origins to Anglo-Saxon England. The name is derived from the Old French name ''Maire'', meaning "mayor", or an officer in charge of legal matters. The English ...
, where it runs concurrently with
US 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
into the city of
South Lake Tahoe. SR 89 continues along the western shore of
Lake Tahoe, where it passes through
Camp Richardson,
Emerald Bay,
Meeks Bay,
Pomins, and
Tahoma. After crossing into
Placer County
Placer County ( ; Spanish for "sand deposit"), officially the County of Placer, is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 404,739. The county seat is Auburn.
Placer County is included in the G ...
, SR 89 passes through
Chambers Lodge,
Homewood,
Tahoe Pines,
Skyland,
Timberland,
Pineland, and
Tahoe Tavern before coming to an intersection with
SR 28, where SR 89 continues to the west, away from the lake. The road curves to the north through
Tahoe National Forest
Tahoe National Forest is a United States National Forest located in California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. It includes the peak of Sierra Buttes, near Sierra City, which has views of Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is located in parts of six co ...
before crossing into
Nevada County and the city of
Truckee.
This portion of the highway has been designated the "10th Mountain Division Memorial Highway", honoring the US Army division that lost 992 soldiers during the
Italian Campaign in World War II.
SR 89 runs concurrently with I-80 eastbound briefly before exiting to the north and continuing through the city of Truckee and passing near
Prosser Creek Reservoir outside of the city limits. SR 89 continues through
Hobart Mills before crossing into
Sierra County and continuing northwest to
Randolph and
Sierraville, where it shares a
wrong-way concurrency
A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurr ...
with
SR 49 through the town of
Sattley; they then intersect
CR A23 before SR 89 splits off to the northwest. SR 89 continues through
Calpine
Calpine Corporation is the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources in the United States, with operations in competitive power markets.
A Fortune 500 company based in Houston, Texas, the company is owned by an ...
before crossing into
Plumas County
Plumas County () is a county in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,790. The county seat is Quincy, and the only incorporated city is Portola. The largest community in the county is ...
.
SR 89 continues through
Clio
In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing.
Etymology
Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί ...
and
Graeagle before running concurrently with
SR 70 through
Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre (4,638 km2) United States National Forest located at the northern terminus of the Sierra Nevada, in northern California. The Forest was named after its primary watershed, the Rio de las Plumas, or Fe ...
, passing through
Blairsden,
Feather River Inn,
Cromberg,
Spring Garden,
Massack (where SR 70 and 89 have a
rest area
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway serv ...
),
East Quincy, and the city of
Quincy. SR 70 and SR 89 continue north through
Keddie before SR 89 splits off to the north and passes through
Indian Falls,
Crescent Mills,
Greenville, and
Canyondam.
The section of SR 89 from SR 70 north to Crescent Mills was built over the abandoned railway bed of the
Indian Valley Railroad
The Indian Valley (IV) Railroad was a shortline railroad that was constructed from the Engels Copper Mine to a connection with the Western Pacific Railroad at Paxton, in Plumas County, northeastern California.
Construction
The Western Pacific ...
. SR 89 intersects with the south end of
SR 147 before paralleling the southern shore of
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor is a large reservoir in northwestern Plumas County, northeastern California, United States. The reservoir has a capacity of and a maximum depth of about 90 feet (27 meters). It is formed by Canyon Dam on the North Fork of the Feath ...
and running concurrently with
SR 36 westbound, crossing into
Tehama County
Tehama County ( ; Wintun for "high water") is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,829. The county seat and largest city is Red Bluff.
Tehama County comprises th ...
and
Lassen National Forest
Lassen National Forest is a United States national forest of 1,700 square miles (4,300 km2) in northeastern California. It is named after pioneer Peter Lassen, who mined, ranched and promoted the area to emigrant parties in the 1850s.
Wildl ...
.
SR 36 and SR 89 intersect the northern terminus of
SR 32 and
SR 172 before SR 36 splits off to the west and SR 89 enters
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is an American national park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Lassen Vol ...
.
The SR 89 state designation officially does not run through the national park, and this segment is directly under the park's jurisdiction instead of
Caltrans. When it is open, a park fee is charged. The segment through the park is typically closed during the winter due to very heavy snowfall and snowpack.
Outside the other park entrance in the northwest corner in
Shasta County
Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding.
Shasta ...
, SR 89 forms a
concurrency with
SR 44, heading northeast to
Old Station
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
* Old, Baranya, Hungary
* Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, ...
.
After splitting from SR 44 at Old Station, SR 89 continues north through
Hat Creek and
Doyles Corner before intersecting
SR 299. The highway passes through
Four Corners and
Cayton
Cayton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England, south of Scarborough.
History
Cayton is mentioned in the ''Domesday book'' as "Caitune".
In 2010, Cayton won a Silver-gilt, at the Britain in Blo ...
before intersecting
CR A19 and crossing into
Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County (, ) is a county in the northernmost part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Cascadia bioregion ...
. SR 89 briefly passes through the
Klamath National Forest
Klamath National Forest is a national forest, in the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension (1.5 percent of the forest) into southern Jackson County in Oregon. The fores ...
and Bartle and
McCloud before coming to an interchange with
I-5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
. SR 89 then merges with Mount Shasta Boulevard and terminates just outside the
Mount Shasta City city limits.
One point of interest along California State Route 89 includes the
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...
remount station in
Woodfords, the Lake Tahoe Outlet Gates in
Tahoe City
Tahoe City (formerly Tahoe) is an unincorporated town in Placer County, California. Tahoe City is located on the shore of Lake Tahoe, at the outlet of the Truckee River.
The site was surveyed in 1863, and Tahoe House was built in 1864. The Taho ...
(control of these gates was the source of the two-decade "Tahoe Water War" between lakeshore owners and downstream
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a river in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river flows northeasterly and is long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 20, 2012 Th ...
water users),
Plumas-Eureka State Park (containing
Johnsville, a well-preserved '49er town, and Pioneer Ski Area, the first sport
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...
area in the Western hemisphere),
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor is a large reservoir in northwestern Plumas County, northeastern California, United States. The reservoir has a capacity of and a maximum depth of about 90 feet (27 meters). It is formed by Canyon Dam on the North Fork of the Feath ...
and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Many other points of interest, including
Brokeoff Mountain,
Sulphur Works,
Emerald Lake,
Lake Helen,
Bumpass Hell,
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak ( ), commonly referred to as Mount Lassen, is a lava dome volcano and the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of the Western United States. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, it is part of the ...
and
Summit Lake are also located on this highway.
SR 89 is part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses both State highways and federal highways in California. It is defined by Article 2 (comme ...
,
and north of the southern SR 44 junction is part of the
National Highway System,
a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...
.
SR 89 is eligible for the
State Scenic Highway System;
however, it is only a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans from the El Dorado-Placer county line to a point 3.2 miles west of the
US 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
junction,
meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community. From the junction with
SR 147, through the park and including the gap on SR 44, to its terminus at I-5, SR 89 is part of the
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is a scenic highway and All-American Road in the U.S. states of California and Oregon. It is roughly long and travels north–south along the Cascade Range past numerous volcanoes. It is composed of two separate ...
, a
National Scenic Byway.
The segment of SR 89 from I-80 in Truckee to SR 49 through Sattley also forms part of the
Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway, a
National Forest Scenic Byway
The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987.
__TOC__
List
The following roadways were listed by t ...
.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
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AARoads- State Route 89Caltrans: Route 89 highway conditions
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Sierra Nevada (United States)