High Rock Canyon

High Rock Canyon, an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), boasts exceptional scenic beauty, vital wildlife habitats including bighorn sheep terrain and dense raptor nesting areas, and National Register-quality archaeological sites and districts. It also features a 14-mile stretch of the Applegate Trail, a National Historic Trail adorned with emigrant graffiti. Captain John Fremont first chronicled the Northern Paiute trail through the canyon in 1844. The Applegate brothers later led emigrant wagon trains through this rugged passage en route to Oregon's Willamette Valley. During the Gold Rush in 1849 and into the 1850s, it was a bustling route to California's goldfields and towns. Today, it lies far off the beaten path, preserving its unique charm.