July 31st, 2020
A 19th century version of the 20th century’s Route 66, the legendary Henness Pass Road moved people, goods and gold between California and Nevada. Now you can enjoy the excitement and experience the challenges of the pioneers by driving your 4-wheel vehicle along the partly unpaved actual wagon route. The field guide Over the Henness Pass: Road Barons and Risk Takers takes you to most of the early stage and hotel stops, from Bridgeport, California to Virginia City, Nevada. Along the way, you can learn about the road and bridge builders and robber barons who built the road and many of the other transportation facilities that enabled the Gold and Silver Rushes of the 1850s and 60s. They sped up the opening of the West and helped develop modern day California and Nevada.
Written by Chuck Scimeca, a retired California state park ranger and OCTA member, the ebook contains over a hundred maps and images as well as mileages and GPS coordinates to more than 25 of the original hotel and stage stops. Download your copy here. You can also download a PDF of the book as well as a book entitled Ghost Towns of Nevada County at the You Bet Press website.