Trinity Heritage is located in northwestern California, about 45 miles northwest of Redding. The byway begins in Weaverville and travels northeast, ending at the junction with I-5 north of Weed. It follows CA 3 and FSR 17, which are two-lane paved roads safe for travel by all vehicles. The byway is about 120 miles long. California Highway 3 is usually open year round. Forest Service Road 17 is closed late November through May.
Trinity Heritage climbs more than 4,000 feet as it crosses the Shasta-Trinity National Forests. Several scenic vistas offer beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, including Mount Shasta. Much of the byway follows the shores of 16,000-acre Clair Engle Lake, which has a rugged and densely forested shoreline and hundreds of hidden coves. Most development on the lake is limited to the western shore. The lake is in the Trinity Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. Several developed campgrounds are available to those interested in staying overnight.
Trinity Heritage skirts the huge 517,500-acre Trinity Alps Wilderness, an area used by hiking and horseback riding enthusiasts. Coffee Creek Road provides access to the heart of this preserved wilderness. At road’s end is a small, five-site campground. In the spring, large herds of deer may be seen in the meadows. Thousands of miners lived along Coffee Creek and its tributaries during the Gold Rush. Evidence of their activity is visible from the road.
Bowerman Barn is a short distance off the byway and is worth seeing. It has a foundation of hand-laid stone, mortise and tenon framework, and whipsawn pine boards attached with hand-forged square nails. It’s one of the last of its kind.