California’s rail trail through Susan River Canyon crosses 12 bridges and two tunnels

It’s called “the Bizz” around here

Northeastern California does not get the attention it deserves.

Out in Lassen County, a 25.4-mile trail follows the Susan River through a canyon lined with rock outcrops, pine forests, and mountain views.

Locals call it “the Bizz,” and it carries you across 12 river bridges, through two railroad tunnels carved into canyon walls, and past scenery that shifts from dry, rocky terrain to thick stands of fir.

You pay nothing to use it, and it stays open all year. The best parts take a while to reach, which keeps the crowds thin.

A lumber railroad built this path in 1914

The trail sits on the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Crews completed the line in 1914 to haul timber from a mill in Westwood, a company town the Red River Lumber Company built from scratch a year earlier.

Trains ran that route for over four decades before operations shut down in 1956. The line sat abandoned until 1978, when former U.S. Congressman Harold T. “Bizz” Johnson helped turn the corridor into a recreation trail. The trail carries his name today.

Rock cliffs and river crossings for 16 miles

For the first 16 miles out of Susanville, you walk or ride right along the Susan River. The canyon walls close in around you with rock outcrops and cliffs rising on both sides.

You cross the river 12 times on bridges and old railroad trestles, and two tunnels cut straight through the canyon rock. Near Susanville, the land is dry and rocky.

As you climb higher toward Westwood, the canyon gives way to thick forests of pine and fir with views of surrounding peaks.

Gold and orange light up the canyon each fall

Trees lining the Susan River put on a show every autumn. The riverbanks fill with gold and orange, and the color reflects off the water beneath the bridges.

The stretch between Devil’s Corral and Susanville through the lower canyon lights up the brightest.

The fall scenery landed the Bizz a featured spot on the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 1997 fall foliage guide, one of only eight trails in the country to make the list. If you time it right in October, the whole canyon glows.

Ride downhill for 18 miles on packed gravel

The trail surface is packed gravel and dirt with a gentle grade that never tops 3 percent.

From Susanville heading west, you climb about 1,300 feet over 18 miles to Westwood Junction, then drop 500 feet to Mason Station.

Many riders flip that by taking a shuttle bus to Mason Station and coasting mostly downhill back to Susanville. Wide-tire or mountain bikes work best on the gravel.

If you stick to the first seven miles east of Susanville, the compacted surface is smooth enough for wheelchair access.

Hike the river stretch or bring your horse

The 18-mile segment from Westwood Junction back to Susanville runs right along the Susan River and gives you the best canyon scenery on foot.

The trail is eight feet wide with a level railroad grade, so the walking is easy even over longer distances.

Horseback riders can use the entire 25.4 miles, and both hikers and bikers yield to horses on the trail.

If you want to stretch the trip, primitive camping is allowed on the BLM and Forest Service land that borders the route.

Cast a line or cool off in the Susan River

The Susan River holds both rainbow and brown trout, and you can reach the water at several of the bridge crossings along the trail. During warmer months, swimming holes open up along the route.

Keep your eyes on the riverbanks as you go. Beaver and muskrat build dams and lodges along this stretch, and you can spot the jumbled stick piles from the trail.

The easy river access at each bridge means you do not have to bushwhack to find a good spot.

Expect more wildlife than other people out here

The canyon and surrounding forest support mule deer, raccoons, porcupines, and coyotes, and your best chance of seeing them is at dawn or dusk.

Beaver and muskrat stay active along the river throughout the day. The mix of riverside habitat, canyon rock, and forest canopy draws a good variety of birds, too.

Many people who walk this trail say they see more animals than humans along the way. That kind of quiet is hard to come by on most trails in California.

The Southside Trail hugs the canyon rim

If you want something rougher, the Southside Trail runs parallel to the main Bizz on the south bank of the Susan River.

This singletrack path stretches from Hobo Camp to Devil’s Corral with connector trails linking it to the main route.

The terrain is more technical, with rockslide views and canyon overlooks that put you closer to the edge.

You can combine both trails into a loop using the connectors, giving yourself a full day of varied terrain without doubling back.

Icicles hang inside the tunnels all winter

When the snow arrives, the Bizz turns into a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing route. The best snow coverage sits on the higher, shaded sections west of Highway 36.

Snowmobiling is allowed west of Devil’s Corral when conditions allow it. Inside the tunnels, icicles hang from the rock ceiling and line the canyon ledges outside.

The trail sits between about 4,200 and 5,500 feet in elevation, high enough to bring four distinct seasons and enough snow to keep the winter months interesting.

Run a marathon or race handcars in October

Every October, the Rails to Trails Festival takes over the historic Susanville Railroad Depot.

The Lassen Land and Trails Trust puts it on each year with live music, a chili cook-off, handcar races, and family activities, all to raise money for local trails.

The trail also hosts an annual marathon and ultra-marathon along the route.

If you want something shorter, the Southside Scramble trail race runs 7K, 14K, and 22K distances through the Susan River Canyon.

A 1927 railroad depot saved from the wrecking ball

Your starting point is the Susanville Railroad Depot, a 1927 Southern Pacific building that sits on the National Register of Historic Places. By the late 1980s, it was close to being torn down.

A local nonprofit, the Lassen Land and Trails Trust, stepped in, restored it, and reopened it in 1994 as a trailhead, visitor center, and museum.

Inside, you can browse displays on the area’s railroad and logging history. Out front, a vintage caboose sits beside the depot where the trail begins.

Hit the Bizz Johnson Trail in Susanville, California

You can pick up the trail at the Susanville Railroad Depot, 601 Richmond Road in Susanville, Calif.

The trail runs 25.4 miles to Mason Station near Westwood, and there is no fee to use it.

It stays open year-round for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and seasonal activities like cross-country skiing.

Near the Westwood end, a carved redwood statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox stands as a nod to the area’s logging roots. Check the official website for current trail conditions before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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