LOST SIERRA ROUTE PUTS 15 ‘LOST TOWNS’ BACK ON MAP FOUR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS IN CALIFORNIA

A collection of ‘forgotten towns’ will be put back on the travel map in the United States as California plans to open 600 miles of new forest trails named the Lost Sierra Route.

The multi-use trails connect the alpine forests of north eastern California with north western Nevada in an area where the Sierra Nevada Mountains meet the Cascade range.

The Lost Sierra Route will offer spectacular alpine hiking, cycling, wildlife spotting, horseback riding, fishing and motorbiking to both local and travelling outdoor adventurers.

The initiative is being led by the Connected Communities Project and the first phase is expected to open in 2023.

It also aims to restore old logging and mining lanes and mail delivery routes used during the California Gold Rush era.

The new trans-Sierra Nevada Route has been compared to the renowned Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail and is suitable for all dirt-tail uses.

Also leading the project is the US Forest Service in partnership with the nonprofit Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and several community partners.

Lost Sierra Route long-term vision

The long-range vision of the Lost Sierra Route is to create a world-class, multi-use trail system that connects 15 Northern Sierra mountain communities.

It is estimated that the trail will attract new visitors to the surrounding communities providing an opportunity for them to claim a part of the outdoor recreation industry, worth a total $887 billion to the US.

Each of the 15 towns will be connected by a Mainstreet trail to help funnel in additional commerce while sections of the route will also pass through the headwaters of the Yuba and Feather Rivers.

Overall completion is expected in seven years, bringing 20 miles of trails linking Taylorsville and Quincy, with views over the mountains and the Indian Valley below.