RNO
Reno–Tahoe International
about 1½ hours · 70 mi
The closest real airport and the easiest drive: north on US-395, then west on CA-70 through Portola and Graeagle.
Travel & stay
Getting to the Lost Sierra
Twenty Mile House sits on the Feather River between Graeagle and Quincy, about an hour and a half north of Reno. It's a little out of the way, which is exactly why we love it. Here's everything we know about getting there.
unfolding the map…
Twenty Mile House
700 Old Cromberg Road, Cromberg, CA 96103
tip: download the area for offline use in Google Maps before you lose signal
Getting there
Fly in, then drive
SMF
Sacramento International
about 3–3½ hours · 160 mi
More nonstops from more places. Up I-80 over Donner Summit, then north from Truckee on CA-89.
SFO · OAK
The Bay Area
about 4½–5 hours · 250 mi
Doable — especially if you turn it into a road trip.
You'll want a car: rideshares are few and far between up here.
Mountain weather
Fall afternoons up here are usually warm and dry, and the nights get cold fast, often down into the 30s. Bring a real jacket for after sunset.
Spotty service
Cell coverage comes and goes once you leave the highway. Download offline maps (or screenshot the directions) before you leave town.
Fill up early
Gas stations are farther apart than you're used to. Top off in Reno, Truckee, Portola, or Quincy.
Deer at dusk
They're everywhere around sunset. Take the last few miles slow.
Where to stay
Cabins, lodges & a few inns
On the property
Twenty Mile House has the 1854 brick guest house (sleeps 14) and six cabins and cottages — room for 54 people on site. We'll share how those rooms are being handled as soon as we know.
Cromberg
a few minutes away
Sierra Sky Lodge
8 rooms · 530-836-1430
Camp Layman
13 cabins with kitchens · 530-836-2344
Graeagle & Blairsden
15–20 minutes
River Pines Resort
Feather River Park Resort
Graeagle Meadows Vacation Rentals
Plumas Pines Vacation Homes
Clio & Portola
20–30 minutes
Nakoma Resort
The Inn at Nakoma + vacation homes · 530-897-2300
The Lodge at Whitehawk
The Pullman House Inn
Portola · 530-832-0107
Airbnb and VRBO have plenty of cabins around Graeagle, Blairsden, and Clio. Fall weekends book up, so earlier is better. Phone numbers are from the venue's own list; call to confirm rates and dates.
While you're up here
Make a weekend of it
Lakes Basin
Dozens of alpine lakes and trails for every level, a short drive south of Graeagle. Frazier Falls is an easy walk to a 176-foot waterfall.
Golf
Graeagle Meadows, Plumas Pines, Whitehawk Ranch, and Nakoma's “Dragon” are all within half an hour.
Johnsville
An old mining town inside Plumas-Eureka State Park, home to the Iron Door restaurant.
The river
Fishing, tubing, and very cold swims on the Feather River, which runs right through the venue.
Trains
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola will let you drive a real locomotive. Book ahead.
Where to eat
Within about 20 minutes
Small-town hours: lots of places close early or skip weekdays after Labor Day. Call ahead.
- Cuccia'sItalian
- Grizzly Grilla nicer dinner
- The Iron DoorJohnsville, worth the drive
- Longboards Bar & Grillbig plates, golf-course views
- Graeagle Mountain Frosteeburgers and shakes
- Bread & Butterbreakfast + lunch truck, Blairsden
- The Brewing Laircraft beer in the trees
- Martha's KitchenMexican, right in Cromberg
questions about getting there?
read the FAQ →