Iowa Hill Rd - Colfax, CA

Iowa Hill Rd starts at Colfax, CA

If you crave a backroads ride involving guardrail-free cliffs and a destination that hasn’t seen a power line in 170 years, Iowa Hill Rd is calling your name.

Dropping off the ridge from Colfax, the pavement immediately plunges into a steep, single-lane descent toward the North Fork of the American River. This isn't just a narrow road—it’s a shelf carved into a vertical canyon wall. In many spots, the asphalt is barely wider than a single vehicle, and the switchbacks are so tight they require full-lock turns. Crossing the narrow bridge at the bottom feels like passing through a gateway into another century.

Once you cross the river and burble up the steady climb along the opposite wall—with nothing but thin air standing between you and a 1,000-foot drop into the canyon—you enter the town of Iowa Hill. Founded in 1853 during the height of the Gold Rush, this isn't a "ghost town" tourist trap; it’s a living relic. Though multiple fires have claimed the original Gold Rush buildings, the town persists as a quiet ridge-top community centered around a small general store.

It remains one of the few places in California that is truly off the grid. There is no electricity here; residents rely on solar, generators, and old-fashioned grit. Amazingly, the bustle of Interstate 80 is just a few miles away as the crow flies, but the brutal geography acts as a natural filter, keeping the population small and the atmosphere perfectly preserved.

The Loop: Continue following Iowa Hill Road up the ridge to reach Sugar Pine Reservoir. The pavement holds all the way to Foresthill Road, where you can drop back down into the town of Foresthill and hit Brewmasters Deli for some well-earned eats.

Mosquito Ridge is just around the corner.