RAILS TO TRAILS FESTIVAL Each year in the early Fall, visitors and residents flock to the Susanville Depot, 601 Richmond Rd, for the Rails to Trails Festival. This is one of those events that will draw families and enthusiasts year after year so be prepared to get "hooked". Come prepared for weather changes and you will thoroughly enjoy yourselves!! Schedule for 2007 Festival (Schedule for 2008 not yet available) September 28: BBQ Dinner (5p.m. to 7p.m.); Railroad Handcar rides ($1.00---5p.m.´till dark); beverage booth; live music; and free caboose tours. September 29: Railroad handcar racing all day; morning bird walk on the Bizz Johnson Trail 8:30a.m.; Chili cook-off & salsa contest and tasting - judging at noon; Arts & Crafts fair - live music with sing-along session; drumming circle, handcar push contest open to all at noon. September 30: Mountain Bike Rides and Trail walks on the Bizz - 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.. Shuttle Bus (fee $5 - $7 - -ride 7 or 25 miles down the Bizz.) For more details, contact the Depot at (530) 257-3252 OR the Eagle Lake Field Office at (530) 257-0456 
OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES (530) 257-0456/3252 for additional information: (Schedule for 2008 not yet available) Fall Color Bike Rides Saturday October 20, 2007, 8:30 and 11:00a.m Call above phone numbers for bus shuttle. Whistle Stop Lecture Series at the Susanville Depot Presentations on a wide range of historic, natural resource and human interest topics. For a current listing, call Lassen Land and Trails Trust, (530) 257-3252.
TRAIL MUSEUMS Susanville Depot Trailhead Visitor Center and Museum 601 Richmond Road, Susanville - (530) 257-3252 This is the main trailhead and visitor center for the Bizz Johnson Trail. The Depot provides trail information, interpretive displays and videos and includes a bookstore and gift shop. Bike rentals are also available. Trail information is posted outside the depot for year-round use. The Bizz Johnson trail starts at the Depot and follows the railroad tracks west across Richmond Road and into Susan River Canyon. The railroad tracks end 1/4 mile west of the Depot, where the trail becomes a smooth old railroad bed. The Depot is open in May,weekends only, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Depot is open June to October, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Westwood Museum 311 Ash Street, Westwood, CA 96137 - (530) 256-2233. It's best to call to confirm hours of this all-volunteer museum. The Red River Lumber Company, was once the largest pine lumber mill in the world - and the main user of the rail-trail that now offers recreation to many. Stop in at the Westwood Museum to see photos of the company's mill, the town and the Fernley and Lassen Branch Railroad. Formed in 1914 to carry lumber from Westwood to the Southern Pacific main line at Fernley, Nevada, the Fernley and Lassen Railroad was the key transportation link that made the lumber company's mill in Westwood possible.
The mill gradually declined and the railroad branch closed in 1956. Abandoned for 20 years, 25 miles of the railroad bed were then reborn as the Bizz Johnson Trail.
Lassen County Visitor Center Westwood Station 462-885 Third Street Westwood, CA 96137 Located in a replica of the historic Westwood Railroad Depot, this new facility provides visitor information about the Westwood area and Lassen County. Monday - Friday, 9a.m. to 1p.m. Call (530) 256-2456 for more information.
SHUTTLES FOR BIKERS AND HIKERS A bus that will carry bikes runs between Westwood and Susanville Monday through Friday. For current schedule and bus stops, call Lassen Rural Bus at (530) 252-7433. On weekends or at times not served by the bus, you may be able to arrange for a van shuttle. Call Mt. Lassen Cab and Shuttle Service at (530) 257-5277. WEEKEND SHUTTLES (Schedule for 2008 not yet available) Bus shuttles for 2007 will run from Susanville Railroad Depot on Saturday June 2, July 7, Sept. 7, and Oct. 20 and Sunday Sept. 30 .., Meet at the Depot at 8:00 AM. On Sept. 30 only at 8:00 or 10:30 AM. Call to reserve your place on these popular shuttles 530-257-4323, Monday- Friday 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. |