Skyway Rd, Butte Meadows, CA
- Tim Mayhew
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
Skyway Rd, running between Magalia and Butte Meadows, CA, is a Sierra Nevada gem you’ve likely never heard of—unless you live nearby or prefer to keep your best riding roads close to the chest. This remote corridor used to be a dirt path over a low mountain summit. I remember riding Skyway Rd after dutiful study of a Thomas Guide back in the mid-1990s and getting stuck in the snow on my Yamaha Venture. As soon as I learned the county had completely paved the route around 2012-2013, I planned a loop up & over the crest to Butte Meadows to check it out.
Previously a classic, mixed-surface NorCal route loved by dual-sport riders, Skyway Rd is now entirely asphalt. It runs roughly parallel to Highway 32 out of Chico but carries virtually zero traffic. During our last group ride through here a few weeks ago, we didn’t encounter a single other vehicle. Is Highway 32 a better option? It depends on what you are looking for, but "middle of nowhere and zero traffic" always gets my vote. Combine Skyway Rd with Highway 32 up to Highway 36 near Mount Lassen and you’ve got the best of both worlds.
Skyway Rd tops out around 5,200 ft.
At the summit, a short dirt road leads to the Bottle Hill Lookout, offering an expansive view looking westward across the Central Valley. Once you reach the mountain hamlet of Butte Meadows, you’ll reach the Bambi Inn, a small bar serving up drinks and burgers, Humboldt Rd drops back down to Highway 32 (awesome road) if you want to stay on the pavement.
For my dual-sport friends, however, the real adventure lies in turning eastward at Butte Meadows to ride the dirt on Humboldt Rd all the way to Lake Almanor and Highway 89 popping out onto pavement south of Chester.
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