The national forest you don’t know is a stunning weekend getaway from the San Francisco Bay Area for swimming, hiking, boating, beer, and golf.
genial maps are funny thing , the way of life we warp and scrunch actual geography in our heads to jibe the familiar into spot . A six - hr drive you know can sense shorter than a four - hr drive you do n’t , and a friend move to a new neighbourhood forces you to reorder your thought about the entire metropolis . Most Californians have an estimate of where Lake Tahoe is , can picture the sparkling waters southwest of Reno in the summer , or know the wind thrust from Truckee to the snow-covered gradient in wintertime . But many of us have a white quad in the other way , northwest out of Truckee . That is Plumas National Forest , part of the aptly - diagnose Lost Sierra , a hidden NorCal escape that cause a everlasting weekend pickup .
The town of Quincy is the can of Plumas County , a quaint former gilt spate town that was in the beginning founded in 1852 . It does n’t look like the set of a westerly or a corny specter town , but you could find its Old West roots . Main Street runs for about five blocks , with a minute row of businesses skirt by pines and forest lot looming all around . It ’s placid and wizard , the perfect home basis for adventure in the surrounding forest . Here are some of our preferred thing to do on a weekend getaway to Quincy and the Plumas National Forest in the Lost Sierra .
Travel time:
4 hour from San Francisco
If you don’t do anything else: Go extreme on a low-key lake
Everyone know about the watersports at Tahoe , but Plumas National Forest has its solution inLake Almanor , one of the large manufacture lake in the state and one of the few large body of piddle where the water is shockingly warm . If you ’re a terrestrial creature , there ’s the Lake Almanor Trail , a 12 - mile route for hiking and biking that runs around much of the shoreline , but it ’s also a pretty prominent lake for watersports . Rent jet skis , pontoons , or ski boat fromMajor ’s Outposton the West shore of the lake for high - upper natural action . All their ski boat rentals issue forth with tow Mexican valium , ski , tubes , and life vest . If you ’re reckon for something a little slower - paced , Knotty PinesResort and Marinaon the North side of the lake rents kayaks , canoe , boat paddle boats , and sportfishing boats . That last one is particularly remarkable — Almanor is an fantabulous lake for fishing .
Fill your days:
Outdoor activities in Quincy
Quincy is stuffy enough to the famedPacific Crest Trailthat some hotel in townsfolk have explicitly banned PCT hikers from remain there , presumably in fear of their dirty , lead - exhaust kick and wearable . It ’s about a 20 - minute drive due west out of town to notice the PCT , and it urinate for a fun excursion to hit the nearby segment . There are also gobs of other pop hike , such asSpanish Ridgefor a somewhat challenging craggy salary increase to the north orGreenhorn Creekfor a more quiver and flat perambulation on a log route along a talk creek .
The old saw may be that golf is a majuscule walk plunder , but here you’re able to flip it on its head — in Quincy , golf is a perfect excuse to take a slap-up nature manner of walking . It ’s unvoiced to quiver the gorgeous setting of the dozen or sogolf coursesscattered around Plumas National Forest . Among others areBailey Creekby Lake Almanor;Grizzly Ranch , Whitehawk Ranch , Plumas Pines , Graeagle Meadows , andThe Dragon at Nakoma Ranchto the south towards Reno ; andMt . Huffright near town . Each boasts true pine forests , mountain view , and kinky fresh air .
If you require to keep those frisson vibraphone going , you could take that slow tread right out onto the water with someriver tube . Plumas National Forest has an extensive connection of interlink lake and river that are majuscule for a ice-cream soda . From Quincy , you could manoeuver a few minutes west toBuck ’s Lake , where several campgrounds , hotels , solar day - use of goods and services parks , and boat launch exist . you could be adrift around in the lake itself or inBuck ’s Creek , Haskins Creek , orMill Creeknearby . Out of Quincy to the southward , the Middle Fork of the Feather Riverhas lovely swimming pickle , fishing , and tubing , especially near the collection of cabins and camping area calledCamp Layman .
Photo by Ben Mesirow for Thrillist
Eat, drink, and sleep:
Restaurants and bars in Quincy
All those outdoor adventure intend you ’ll take some serious fuel . There are n’t many eatery in Quincy , and the ones there be given to close down early or keep odd hours . But breakfast is where the town shines , andPatti ’s Morning Thunder Cafeis the place to be before noonday . The wood - impanel outside screams vintage roadside dining compartment , and the inside is its match , helter-skelter and fun , a jumbled esthetic with more Grant Wood on the walls and tons of previous photos , seasonal decorations that sometimes stay up a little prospicient , wine-colored - mom mode coffee berry signboard , and even an antique open fireplace . The bill of fare is full of arrant California dining car classics , such as omelette , pancakes , sandwich , and the requisite breakfast burrito , huevos rancheros , tostadas , and a middling wild stuffed avocado pear salad .
And Quincy ’s Main Street does have a few bar , but none so fun and unexpected as the savor room atQuintopia Brewing — because it ’s also the domicile of theWest final stage Theatreanddramaworks , Quincy ’s very own biotic community artistry organization and black box theater . The brewery serve as its lobby , and it also feels like a bread and butter way for local creative person . On any present night , actor are hang out and laugh over pints , and on weekend , it means you may bump the Browning automatic rifle relatively placid … until intermission hit and the audience permeate out to chug a beer and get a refill to bring back in for the second bit .
If that is n’t a draw on its own , Quintopia ’s beers are bloody safe . The menu is familiar , with beers that execute the gamut from lighter and crisp like Kiandra Kolsch through the usual serial of well - balance IPAs and on into a full - bodied public house ale and a solid stout . Unlike many craft breweries , though , the beers tend to stay on the lower ABV end of the spectrum , with only the casual beer cracking 7 % , a brisk position . Food is eclectic and much better than it has to be , from pub monetary standard , such as the Hot Pretzels and Loaded Fries , to a Falafel Wrap , Chili - Lime Pork Salad , and a surprisingly slap-up Cold Noodle Bowl .
Where to stay in Quincy
There are a ton of well alternative for wedge in Quincy and the area in worldwide , from hotel and rentable condos near the said golf courses to cabins and camping site dotted throughout the forest . But there ’s a spate to be said for staying right in town , secretive to what counts as the center of the activity around here . And it ’s punishing to get more fundamental than theFeather Bed Inn , a charming and historical family - owned lodge in the middle of townsfolk . The Queen Anne - fashion inn was to begin with built as a fellowship home in 1893 and has since been converted to five guest suite upstairs with two cottage below . It ’s comfortable , quaint , and makes an excellent base for adventure as it ’s the form of property you ’ll be excited to return to when you ’re exhausted from a long twenty-four hours in the woods .
Flickr/Don Debold
Flickr/Tony Zuliani
Photo by Ben Mesirow for Thrillist
