Beginning in Oakhurst just north of Fresno and south of Yosemite National Park, California 49 traces the Mother Lode of California, passing through such historic gold mining communities as Jamestown, Sonora, Columbia, Angels Camp, San Andreas, Jackson, Placerville, Auburn, Grass Valley, and Nevada City. Leaving the foothills, California 49 enters the Sierra Nevada, passing through Downieville en route to its northeasterly terminus at California 70 in Vinton. California 49 is numbered after the Gold Rush of 1849.
Northbound California 49
Historic/Bypass signage along California 49. Photo taken by Mike Ballard, 08/98.
Northbound California 49 approaching Junction Westbound California 16. This marks the western terminus of California 16. Photo taken by Joel Windmiller, 03/29/01.
Northbound California 49 as it approaches its freeway segment just southwest of Grass Valley. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 approaching McKnight Way, one-half mile. California 49 will widen into a freeway as it enters the Grass Valley-Nevada City metropolitan area. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at McKnight Way and South Auburn Street. This is the beginning of Business California 49, which follows original California 49 through Grass Valley and Nevada City. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 approaching Junction California 20, one-half mile. Photo taken 01/19/03.
West California 20 leads to Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Yuba City, Marysville, Colusa, Williams, Clearlake, Willits, and Fort Bragg on the coast. It is a major east-west corridor, with easterly connections to Truckee and Lake Tahoe. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at Junction California 20. The next exit is for Junction California 174. Photo taken 01/19/03.
For pictures of the Golden Center Freeway through Grass Valley and Nevada City, go to the California 20 page.
Views of the original, 1920s-era California 49 bridge over the Yuba River. This bridge is adjacent to the new bridge (see next photobox). Crafted in a manner similar to the U.S. 80 arch bridges in San Diego County, this bridge is in excellent condition considering its age. The bridge is closed to vehicles, and it is primarily a pedestrian bridge for those wishing to hike to the Yuba River below. Photos taken 01/19/03.
Views of the new California 49 bridge as it passes over the Yuba River. The mileage and bridge identification sign is located along northbound. This newer bridge is similar to some modern arch bridges used for various overpasses along Interstates 805 and 15 in San Diego County. Photos taken 01/19/03.
En route to Downieville, California 49 maintains a low elevation initially as it passes through the mountains. This changes after Downieville, as California 49 rises to over 6,000 feet to cross the Sierra Nevada at Yuba Pass. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at the one-lane bridge in Downieville. California 49 only has one lane for both directions as it crosses the river here, so vehicles must yield to oncoming traffic. It's hard to believe that this is the same road that was a freeway back in Grass Valley! Photos taken 01/19/03.
Views of northbound California 49 at Yuba Pass, elevation 6,701 feet. From here, the highway winds down into the Middle Fork of the Feather River Basin, or Sierra Valley. The third photo shows a view of the floor of the valley as seen from Yuba Pass. At the time this photo was taken, a recent snow had left behind significant drifts and walls created by snowplows. Photos taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 approaching Junction Northbound California 89. Note the directional indicator located within the California state shield. Southbound California 49 and 89 merge from this point until Sierraville. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at Junction Northbound California 89. The highway is still at high altitude here, but it will drop into a basin/valley in which Sierraville and Loyalton are located. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 and Southbound California 89 entering Sierraville. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at Junction Southbound California 89 in Sierraville. California 89 continues south to meet Interstate 80 at Truckee via Hobart Mills. Photo taken 01/19/03.
California 49 is still in the same basin at it enters Loyalton, the only town along northbound between Sierraville and Vinton. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 approaching Junction Sierra County Route A-24 in Loyalton, Sierra Valley Road. County Route A-24 enters Plumas County to the north as it heads toward the Middle Fork Feather Wild and Scenic River area. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Northbound California 49 at the Western Pacific Bridge overcrossing just south of Vinton with a postmile marker in the foreground. Photo taken 01/19/03.
End northbound California 49 at Junction California 70 in Vinton. Eastbound California 70 leads to U.S. 395 and Reno; Westbound California 70 leads to the Feather River Canyon. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Southbound California 49
First Southbound California 49 shield after Junction California 70 in Vinton. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Southbound California 49 at Junction Sierra County Route 490, which connects to Forest Service Road 25/Eureka Road and Indian Valley. This sign is located just southwest of Downieville. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Southbound California 49 and eastbound California 4 approaching the east California 4 split in Angels Camp. Photo taken 01/19/03.
At this intersection in Angels Camp, California 49 splits right (south) and California 4 turns left (east). Eastbound California 4 winds its way to Ebbetts Pass, with Vallecito, Murphys, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Bear Valley Ski Area (Junction California 207), and Lake Alpine along the way. California 49 continues south to Columbia and Sonora in Tuolumne County. Photo taken 01/19/03.
Views of the Foresthill Bridge near Auburn
These photos show the Foresthill Bridge, located just east of Auburn right off of Interstate 80. Built in 1973, this bridge was intended to provide a new route for California 49 that would avoid the low-lying areas at the base of the canyon and thus straighten out the route as well as reducing its risk for spring flooding and avoid the once-proposed but never-constructed Auburn Dam. If the dam had been built, the water would have risen to 135 feet the bridge deck at capacity. Even though the Foresthill Bridge was constructed as planned, the approaches to the route were never constructed, so it was orphaned from the state highway system. It is currently maintained by Placer County and is not assigned a state route number. These first eight pictures show the bridge from the hiking trails below the bridge. For more, visit Auburn Journal, "New sign celebrates Foresthill Bridge’s 30th" (09/01/03). Photos taken 01/19/03.
These photos show the Foresthill Bridge from the top, at the eastern end looking down and across all views. At 730 feet in height, this bridge is currently California's tallest bridge. Only the Royal Gorge bridge in Colorado, at 1,053 feet, and the New River Gorge bridge in West Virginia, at 876 feet, are higher than the Foresthill bridge. Note the superstructure and walkways located on either side of the bridge as well as the height of the bridge as evidenced by views looking straight down. The bridge itself is a work of art. Painted green, with huge concrete supports, the bridge flies way over the top of the North Fork of the American River. Even though it is such a high bridge, there are sidewalks built on either side of the bridge that provide stunning, obstructed views of the valley below. Photos taken 01/19/03.
