Everitt Memorial Hwy, Mount Shasta, CA

Everitt Memorial Highway is one of the only paved roads climbing the side of Northern California’s 14,179-ft Mount Shasta. It doesn’t exactly jump off my AAA Sectional Map, and it isn't obvious unless you’re crossing roads off a bucket list or someone told you about it. However, if you want to experience the sheer scale of the Cascades without ever leaving the pavement, this is the ultimate vertical journey.

How many times have you ridden up-and-down I-5 in Northern California? Dozens? More? Then you’ve ridden right past this incredible out-and-back detour. Starting at roughly 3,500 ft in the town of Mount Shasta, exit the freeway and onto this 14-mile paved ribbon climbing the southern flank of this massive stratovolcano, terminating at the Old Ski Bowl at an respectable 7,950 ft.

For the motorcyclist, the appeal isn't just the destination; it’s the transition—and the amazing views. The road is well-engineered with broad, sweeping s-curves & hairpins originally built to efficiently convey tourist traffic to the Mount Shasta Ski Bowl, completed in 1958. The fate of the road and the resort took a dramatic turn in 1978, when a massive avalanche destroyed the main chairlift and heavily damaged the lodge. Due to the high cost of repairs and the inherent danger of the topography, the resort was abandoned and eventually moved to a lower, more sheltered location: the current Mount Shasta Ski Park.

While the original destination for this road is gone, the highway remains. This "road to nowhere and everywhere" has evolved into one of the most famous—and often forgotten—scenic drives on the West Coast you’ve never heard of.

The payoff for your detour off the interstate is reaching Bunny Flat at 6,950 feet, or further still if the snow has melted, Panther Meadows at 7,500 feet. From the end of the asphalt, you have an unobstructed view of Castle Crags to the west and the vast expanse of the Trinity Divide. Even in the height of summer, you’ll likely find snowbanks lining the road at the summit.

It’s a short, intense out-and-back ride from I-5 that serves as a perfect high-altitude "palette cleanser" for any Northern California motorcycle tour.