Things to do in Scott Valley and Etna, California: a local’s guide (fall 2026)
Where we actually send our guests: coffee and bread on Main Street, alpine lakes up the road, the best drives in the valley, dark skies, and the small places a first visit usually misses. Updated every season.
A week in Scott Valley: Mount Shasta, Yreka, Ashland and a day of eating
The whole story in seven days: Etna, the high lakes, a full day eating your way around the valley, the Salmon River, Mount Shasta, Yreka, and a day in Ashland that starts with hot yoga and ends at a long table.
A weekend in Etna: two slow days in Scott Valley
Arrive Friday, slow down Saturday, head up the mountain on Sunday. Our favorite two days in Etna and Scott Valley.
Three days in Scott Valley: Etna, the mountains and Fort Jones
Day one in town, day two in the mountains, day three around the whole valley. A three-day plan from Etna.
Four days in Scott Valley, with a day on the Salmon River
Three days in the valley, and one big day on the Salmon River: over the Scott Mountains, down the South Fork and home over Etna Summit.
Five days in Scott Valley, with a day at Mount Shasta
Four days in and around the valley, then a day at Mount Shasta: the headwaters of the Sacramento, Lake Siskiyou and a hike to Heart Lake.
Six days in Scott Valley, with a day in Yreka
Five days in and around the valley, then a day in Yreka: a morning class or a reservoir walk, a Gold Rush main street, lunch from Thailand or El Salvador, and an afternoon on the Klamath.
One perfect day in Etna, California
A slow morning, breakfast on Main Street, a little indulgence, a sunset drive and a nightcap at the distillery. Here is our favorite day in Etna.
A road trip worth slowing down for
A road trip route from Ashland through Yreka to Etna, with a scenic loop to Mount Shasta, and a private house to base yourself in Scott Valley.
Scott Valley drives and bike loops from Etna
Five ways to see Scott Valley by car or by bike, with a map and mileage, from a short loop before dinner to a full day on the Salmon River.
One perfect wellness day in Ashland, Oregon, this fall and winter
Hot yoga, mineral water, a long walk under the oaks and a town that lights up for winter. A wellness day in Ashland, and a quiet place to land after.
Main Street, slowly: vintage finds and small shops in Etna
The best vintage store in town, a salon in an old bank building, sourdough from a weekend farmstand and a bottle of something made down the street. A slow morning on Etna's Main Street.
Whose land is this? The Shasta, Karuk and Quartz Valley peoples of Scott Valley
Before Etna had a Main Street, this valley was Shasta homeland. A look at the people of this land, the treaty that was never honored, and the sovereign nations thriving here today.
Fall color in Scott Valley: a slow week in Etna, California
Fall comes to Scott Valley in two waves. When to come, one dreamy day in Etna, where to eat and drink this season, and the drives worth taking.