Back when I was a child, before my family left for the East Coast the summer I was nine, we were an adventurous bunch — mostly because my father was a biologist who specialized in reptiles and amphibians. That meant we packed the family tent and headed into the California wilderness to explore (and look for crawly critters).

We camped out in Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree and visited places like Death Valley and the Mojave Desert, to all the famous wild places in California. The ones everyone had heard of back then, and locals and tourists still visit today.

Then it was off to Washington, D.C., for my family. And while I always knew I would come back to live in California, it took me 30 years to return for good. When I got back, I was determined to head to parts of the state I’d never seen, especially the places that sparked my imagination, like gold rush country in the “Lost Sierras” and the remote Lassen Volcanic National Park.

But when I realized that those places (especially Lassen) were a 10-hour drive from my home, I balked for a while, for it was obvious that this was a trip that was going to take time, and some planning. It took me more years to carve out the time (and a travel reporting career that has taken me around the world, to 70 countries!), but happily, I finally did recently. I enlisted one of my good friends to join me, another adventurous California female like me who has wandered the world but never ventured to the remote northeast corner of our state either, and the road trip was set.

The Lost Sierras got their name relatively recently, when a writer in the 1930s coined the term for this extremely rugged part of the northernmost Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s the place where members of the Donner party lost their lives 150 years ago, men fought unforgiving landscapes in search of gold, and built the railroad that tied the West Coast to the East by tunneling through Donner Summit at 7,227 feet above sea level.

These days, the Lost Sierras are still pretty wild, with forest-filled vistas that go on for miles, quaint old mining towns with plenty of charm and chances to hike in places where you’re completely alone in the wilderness. If the lure of the past and the love of the wild is your idea of a perfect adventure, then join me for a road trip to this less-traveled part of California and discover all the captivating places you didn’t know you were missing!

Getting there

You’ll need a vehicle to get around in the Lost Sierras, and one that can take mountain roads with aplomb. You can drive from Southern California like we did, with other stops along the way, or simply take a quick one-hour flight to Sacramento or Reno, then grab a rental and you’re ready to explore. Most of the roads are paved and passable, so you won’t need a four-wheel drive vehicle unless you want to get really remote.

And be aware that if you choose an electric vehicle, you’ll have to factor in charging station locations and charging time. We drove the Volkswagen ID Buzz electric bus, which has a range of 234 miles per charge, so we needed to juice up regularly along the way. Charging stations are not plentiful along the route in the Lost Sierras, but with good planning, driving an EV is an extremely eco-friendly way to enjoy these still-pristine mountains.

Follow the route we did, which is what you’ll discover below, or wend your own way through the Lost Sierras, which culminate at Lassen National Park’s burbling volcanic majesty — truly one of NorCal’s hidden gems.

Gold rush country: Grass Valley and Nevada City

Driving northeast of Sacramento, you’ll discover California places whose names are perhaps not very familiar, including the counties of Yuba, Placer and Nevada. That’s where the gold fever hit in the 1850s gold rush, as men swarmed into the wilderness searching for that precious metal. First panning for gold in the rivers, the search here gave way to huge underground mines, including the famed Empire Mine, which is now an intriguing state historic park in Nevada County’s Grass Valley.

Make your way there to tour the actual mineyard and shaft, as well as the original owner’s estate and English garden for an experience that will mesmerize both kids and adults — especially when they turn off the lights in the shaft and mimic what the miners saw and felt as they descended into the depths.

Back in the sunlight, where summertime temperatures can reach 95 degrees across this mountainous region and winter can bring snow and freezing chill, continue on to Grass Valley, the picturesque old mining camp that still has numerous buildings, rebuilt in 1855, after the whole mining town burned down that year. Settle into Room 18 at the Holbrooke Hotel, in the King Suite that dates back to those days, for a ringside seat on its balcony that overlooks the historic downtown district. The recently remodeled hotel spots the Golden Gate Saloon (since 1852) and even has a cool hidden speakeasy called the Iron Door that’s existed since the gold rush days, too.

Move on to Nevada City for another night in a gold rush town, this one with a world-class restaurant. The National Exchange Hotel opened in 1856, a brick edifice that has stood the test of time. It’s a beautiful, old-fashioned hotel (no elevator to the two upper floors!) right in the center of town, which is another cool historic spot filled with boutiques, saloons and eateries. Choose their King Suite as home base, then wander the streets for a blast from the past. Lola is the National’s scrumptious dining spot, often with live music and a fabulous drag brunch show on select Saturdays.

Pioneer and railroad history: Donner Memorial State Park

Take off from Nevada County for the north by way of I-80 east to follow the way the Central Pacific Railroad took, as they blasted across the Sierras to help create the Transcontinental Railroad in 1867. That monumental task went right through Donner Pass, named for the pioneers whose journey West came with a terrible price.

Emigrants as a whole and the Donner Party specifically are remembered at Donner Memorial State Park, just off the highway, along with the Washoe people who lived here first, the Chinese workers who built the railroad and others. Plus, the park has campgrounds, hiking trails, fishing in Donner Lake and more in the summer, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter. Remember to not get stuck or lost during the winter here, however, for it does not go well for humans lost in the Donner Pass!

Luxury, golf and Frank Lloyd Wright: Nakoma Resort

After exploring the Donner Pass, it’s time to venture even farther up north, to Placer County and some unexpectedly luxurious digs at Nakoma Resort in Clio. Nakoma has lots to love, a little gem tucked away high in those Lost Sierras. With a beautiful mountain setting and choices for stays ranging from houses that sleep eight, villas for two or four or six or bedrooms for two, solos and pets as well, there’s an upscale option for everyone here.

Lovers of the wilderness are practically in heaven way up here, with so many action options it’s difficult to choose what to do when. Summertime offers rounds of golf at Nakoma’s famed 18-hole course The Dragon and more active endeavors such as mountain biking, paddleboarding, horseback trekking or hiking high into the mountains, and swimming in their big outdoor pool, too. Winter brings fat-tire biking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even dog-sledding tours.

And perhaps the most spectacular thing about Nakoma is the stunning Frank Lloyd Wright Lodge, designed by the architectural master, which holds the Fifty44 restaurant, as well as the golf pro shop and a spectacularly large outside patio with wonderful views of the Sierras — and the cleanest air you may ever inhale.

Volcanoes, lakes and Bumpass Hell: Lassen National Park

Finally, about 2.5 hours even farther up into the Lost Sierras, you’ll arrive at Lassen National Park, a volcanic wonderland located where the four counties of Lassen, Shasta, Plumas and Tehama meet. Lassen is also one of the few places on Earth where you can see all four types of volcanoes: shield, composite, cinder cone and plug dome. The last time Lassen erupted was 1914-1917, which is why most visitors decide to climb to its peak on the Lassen Peak Trail, a tough hike that takes about five hours to accomplish.

That hike to the top of one of the world’s largest plug domed volcanoes is just one of the ways to discover how volcanoes act; wandering through Bumpass Hell is another, as that largest hydrothermal area in the park bubbles and burbles (and smells!) on the steep three-mile round-trip hike to reach it.

Bumpass Hell is only open to see its fumaroles, mud pots and boiling waters from mid-summer to mid-fall, as otherwise it is covered in snow. It’s named for a miner who owned a claim here long ago, who cracked through the crust and burned his leg so badly he had to have it amputated — a lasting reminder to be careful in the wilderness, especially places where volcanoes have left their marks. Other hydrothermal places in the park give warning with their names, so use caution when seeking out Devil’s Kitchen, Boiling Springs Lake, Sulphur Works and Fart Gulch. But don’t miss them; they are uniquely weird places on our planet.

The park has more than 200 lakes perfect for fishing, boating and swimming in summer, while winter closes much of the park because of massive snowfalls. But there’s still places to cross-country ski or snowshoe, and the night sky is always a place of wonder here in this designated International Dark Sky Park where the Milky Way shines in all its glory.

There are not many hotels close to Lassen National Park, so expect to camp (reservations required for sites) or book into the Drakesbad Guest Ranch to the southeast of the park or the Manzanita Camping Cabins near the northwest park entrance.

Giddy up!: Greenhorn Ranch

A perfect way to finish up this Lost Sierras exploration is with a stop at Greenhorn Ranch, about two hours south of Lassen. This classic, family friendly dude ranch is a place to soak in a final Wild West experience, complete with horseback lessons and rides, with a bit of roping, fly fishing, skeet shootin’, archery and saloon stomping thrown in as well. Kids love this place, because they too get a chance on a horse, from ages six and up, along with lots of other outdoor activities. Plus: family style home-cooked meals and s’mores around the campfire.

Once a working farm in the time of the gold rush, since 1962 the Greenhorn has been a place where the day is taken at a leisurely pace, where visitors soak in the 600 acres that abuts to 500,000 more acres of public land. There are plenty of places to take a horse, with experienced cowhands to guide the way. If an electric bike is more your style, there’s a 14-mile trek through the woods to a stunning lookout that makes you believe you’ve stepped back in time to the days of the Donners, the gold rush and the time when coming into the Lost Sierras really was a challenging place to navigate.

Plus, the ranch is only 1.5 hours to the Reno Airport, where you’re sure to regret leaving this magical part of the California experience.

Activities at the Greenhorn Ranch offer a Wild West experience, complete with horseback lessons and rides, plus a bit of roping, fly fishing, skeet shooting and archery. (Photo by Jenny Peters)