Wikipedia: U.S. Route 97

US 97 begins at an interchange with I-5 in Weed, California, near Mount Shasta at the northern edge of the state. The highway travels northeast around Weed and into Shasta–Trinity National Forest, passing several lava fields as it ascends the northwest side of Mount Shasta. It turns east at Haystack Butte and travels around Deer Mountain, crossing the shore of Grass Lake and serving a rest area. After another series of turns, US 97 reaches its highest point in California at Mount Hebron Summit, 5,202 feet (1,586 m) above mean sea level.

The highway descends from Mount Hebron and leaves the national forest to travel northeast across the Butte Valley, a rural area with few settlements. After passing through the town of Macdoel, US 97 bisects a portion of the Butte Valley National Grassland and passes through a border inspection station operated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture near Dorris. The highway passes through Dorris on a series of city streets and continues northeast to cross into Oregon near a junction with California State Route 161 northwest of Indian Tom Lake. The California portion of US 97 is approximately 55 miles (89 km) long and lies entirely within Siskiyou County. It is also part of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway system, which continues south from Weed towards Lassen Peak.

"In 2002, Caltrans allocated $23.7 million to construct a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) bypass of Dorris to carry US 97 traffic, replacing a set of city streets with three turns that caused tractor trailers to flip over. The proposal was rejected by the city government in 2003 due to fears it would affect business traffic, which had already been struggling in Dorris."

Links

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highways