State Route 96 (SR 96) is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

in the U.S. state of California that follows the Trinity and

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') flows through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second larges ...

s between State Route 299 in Willow Creek and Interstate 5 near

Yreka Yreka ( ) is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,807, reflecting a meager increase fro ...

in Northern California. For most of the route it goes through the

Karuk Tribal Reservation The Karuk Tribe is a federally recognized Indian tribe of Karuk people. They are an indigenous people of California, located in the northwestern corner of the state, in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. The Karuk Tribe is one of the largest Ind ...

, the Yurok Tribal Reservation, and the Hoopa Tribal Reservation. Over half of the length is the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, passing through "the region boasting the most sightings of

Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...

of anywhere in the country" according to the National Forest Scenic Byway Program.

Route description

The route begins at a junction with State Route 299, the Trinity Highway, in Willow Creek. It heads north, following the Trinity River downstream through Hoopa, and exiting the

Trinity National Forest Trinity National Forest was established as the Trinity Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in California on April 26, 1905 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 it gave up some acreage to California National F ...

near its confluence with the

at Weitchpec. At Weitchpec, the route intersects State Route 169 and turns northeast into the Six Rivers National Forest. The highway passes through Orleans and turns more northerly after intersecting Salmon River Road. Passing through Happy Camp, SR 96 enters the Klamath National Forest. After passing through Gottsville, the route exits the national forest. It intersects State Route 263, which heads south toward

. SR 96 then turns north. Passing the Randolf Collier Safety Roadside Rest Area, the route meets its terminus at Interstate 5. SR 96 is not 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. SR 96 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System, but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation. The segment of SR 96 from Willow Creek to Happy Camp is designated as the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, a National Forest Scenic Byway that goes through a region boasting the most sightings of

in the United States.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{commons cat
California @ AARoads.com - State Route 96Caltrans: Route 96 highway conditions
096 State Route 096 State Route 096

Route description

Major intersections

See also

References

External links