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Portola - Sierra Valley
East of Portola is the Jim Beckwourth Museum, a log cabin trading post once owned by the famous pioneer James Beckwourth. Grizzly Ranch, a private golf course and residential community, is located east of Portola, along Grizzly Road leading to Lake Davis. Just to the south of Portola is the golf resort/residential community of Gold Mountain, where the Nakoma Golf Resort clubhouse is an original Frank Lloyd Wright design. Annual events like Railroad Days, Santa Train, sled-dog races and the Lake Davis Fishing Derby attract many visitors to Portola. A new Winter Snowfest over President’s Day Weekend features a snowmobile poker run and a variety of winter sports and unique snow competitions. A variety of restaurants and lodging options, shops and other amenities can be found both along Highway 70 and across the Feather River in old downtown. The city’s downtown park, which hosts a number of outdoor concerts and events, has a skateboard park, swimming pool, horseshoe pits, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, playground and picnic area. Farther east along Highway 70, the vast expanses of the Sierra Valley occupy a large portion of Eastern Plumas County and play a major role in the county’s cattle-producing industry. Here are situated the towns of Beckwourth, Vinton and Chilcoot, the latter being the gateway to Frenchman Lake, a great trout fishery and popular camping area. A bi-annual Cowboy Poetry show is held in Vinton in March and September. The headwaters of the Feather River are located in the Sierra Valley
and this wetland habitat has made it a prime location for bird-watching. Bird-watchers can commonly observe diverse types of waterfowl and raptors along the county roads south of Highway 70. Rock hounds also have much to explore in this area, where diverse geology is caused by the meeting of two mountain ranges (Sierra Nevada and Cascade) and the Great Basin to the east. Fossils, quartz and many astounding sculptures of natural volcanic rock, found in places like Little Last Chance Creek Canyon near Frenchman Lake, are evidence of the valley’s unique geological formations. For more information, call the Portola Visitors Center, (530) 832-0671 or the Eastern Plumas Chamber of Commerce in Blairsden, (530) 836-6811.
Tack Clothing Jewelry Gifts
Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 3 pm
530.994.3091
FOX FARM PRODUCTS
530.906.2181
Located at: 101 Main St., Sierraville, CA
GATEWAY TO FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR
➸ Go canoeing or paddling on the headwaters of the Feather River.
➸ Spend a day museum-hopping at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum, where you can drive your own locomotive, then visit the Williams House Museum and Beckwourth Cabin. ➸ Get close to nature by birding, fishing or wildlife watching at Lake Davis, the Sierra Valley and Frenchman Lake.
OLD TIME COUNTRY STORE
Groceries • Meat Homemade Fudge Sporting Goods • Gifts
➸ Take a stroll, jog or bike ride along Portola’s scenic Riverwalk.
➸ Shop Portola’s historic downtown Commercial Street and browse the stores along Hwy. 70. ➸ Explore the mountain roads above Sierra Valley and
BEST BETS
HOME DECOR - GIFTS GARDEN CENTER
Lake Davis on a guided ATV or snowmobile tour.
➸ Get cooking and gardening tips at Sierra Valley’s Farmer’s Markets on summer Fridays. ➸ Check out amusing displays and unique merchandise at Wiggin’s Trading Post. More Info: (530) 836-6811 or 832-0671
CALL AHEAD FOR WEEKLY FISHING REPORT
(530) (530)
993-4721 993-4683
email: wigginstp@yahoo.com • Fax 530-993-0135
Chilcoot, Calif. 96105 2012 - 2013 PLUMAS COUNTY VISITORS GUIDE
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