Dunsmuir, CA Road Trips

Dunsmuir has always been tied to the railroad lines that still run through the city. Sitting near the top of a steep grade, the Central Pacific RR chose this location for a service facility and engine house for the helper engines that assisted in moving trains up and down the steep grade. A town grew near the facility, eventually becoming the city of Dunsmuir. Dunsmuir Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, 5915 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-2177, fax: +1 530 235-0911.

Tauhindauli Park (located under the 800-Foot Bridge (part of I-5) going over the Upper Sacramento River, just a bit north of Dunsmuir).

Dunsmuir ArtWalk, ☏ +1 530 235-0963. September. Artists showcase their work in downtown Dunsmuir. 1 Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens, 4841 Dunsmuir Ave (in Dunsmuir City Park), ☏ +1 530 235-4740, [email protected]. Showcases the local native vegetation. Walking trails and fishing. Fishing. The upper Sacaramento River runs past Dunsmuir offering excellent wild trout fishing opportunities. 2 Mossbrae Falls (from Dunsmuir Ave., take a right on Scarlett Way and park on the other side of the tracks). A 2.4-mile roundtrip hike will take you to this 150-ft wide, 50-ft tall waterfall. Mossbrae Music Festival, 4841 Dunsmuir Ave. (Dunsmuir City Park). July. Railroad Days. Father's Day Weekend. A three-day festival celebrating Dunsmuir's railroad heritage. Model railroads, parade, Lil Mr. & Mrs. Engineer Pageant, kids' fishing derby, diaper derby, softball tournament, food. Swimming Holes. The Sacaramento River in this area is full of slow moving areas that make ideal natural swimming holes. There are two right in town and several within 20 miles of the town. Train watching/Railfanning. Dunsmuir is an excellent location to see trains in action. Being located on the major north-south rail corridor in California, the town sees a lot of activity. There is also a yard and engine facility in town.

All Aboard Espresso, 5345 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4575. M-Sa 6:30AM-4PM; Su 7AM-3PM. Brown Trout Café, 5841 Sacramento Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-0754. Burger Barn, 5942 Dunsmuir Ave (Downtown, near Fire Station), ☏ +1 530 235-2902. Fall/Winter: Tu-Sa 11-7PM (closed in January). Great burgers, fries and shakes. Home of the famous "Barnbuster!" Veggie burgers, chicken, fish & chips, philly cheesesteak, onion rings, deli sandwiches on freshly baked rolls, soups, corn dogs, chicken buggets and ice cream. Friendly family owned restaurant, clean restrooms. Cafe Maddalena, 5801 Sacramento Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-2725. March 20 through New Year's Eve: Th-Su 5-10PM. Mediterranean cuisine bistro featuring dishes from Spain, France, Italy, and North Africa. Reservations are suggested. $9-24. Cornerstone Bakery & Cafe, 5759 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4677. M 7AM-3PM, Tu closed, W-Sa 7AM-3PM; Su 8AM-2PM. Hitching Post, 4917 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4336. Micki's Better Burger, 4905 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4004. 1950s themed diner featuring tacos, salads, hamburgers, banana splits, frosties, espressos, grilled hot dogs, and at least 12 flavors of milk shakes. Pizza Factory, 5804 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4849. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-9PM. Sengthong's Blue Sky Room, 5841 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 235-1046. Th Su 5PM - 8PM, F Sa 5PM - 9PM. Vietnamese, Laotian & Thai Cuisine. Sengthong's also has an active music schedule ranging from county to blues to hip-hop. Thursdays are a 1980s and 90s dance party starting at 9PM.

Dunsmuir Brewery Works, 5701 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 859-3763, [email protected]. Microbrewery.

Acorn Inn, 4310 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4805, [email protected]. Cave Springs-Motel-Resort, 4727 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-2721, toll-free: +1-888-235-2721. Cabins: $45-63; motel: $54-79. Cedar Lodge Motel, 4201 Dunsmuir Ave, ☏ +1 530 235-4331, +1 530 235-4332, fax: +1 530 235-4000, [email protected]. Dunsmuir Lodge, 6604 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-2884. Extra charge for pets. $74-144. Dunsmuir Spring Cottages, 5705 Shasta Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-1956, +1 530 235-4863, [email protected]. Historic cottages in downtown Dunsmuir. No smoking, call for pet policy. $99-129. Oak Tree Inn, 4000 Siskiyou Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4100. Railroad Park Resort, 100 Railroad Park Rd., ☏ +1 530. This resort caters to railfans with its caboose motel. All of the motel rooms are in retired railroad cabooses. The resort also has an RV park with both tent sites and full hookup RV sites. Motel $115-125, camping $22-30. Rustic RV & Trailer Park, 30877 Crag View Dr., ☏ +1 530 235-4330, [email protected]. Traveler's Hotel, 5815 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-4465.

From Redding, take I-5 N. From Yreka, take I-5 S. From McCloud, take CA-89 W, then I-5 S to Dunsmuir. Amtrak's Coast Starlight serves Dunsmuir daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Other stops include Tacoma, Lacey, Centralia, Kelso, Vancouver, WA, Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. The train is scheduled to stop in Dunsmuir heading southbound at 12:35AM and heading northbound at 5:04AM, but delays are not unusual. 1 Dunsmuir station, 5750 Sacramento Ave. Midnight-1AM, 4AM-6AM. There is no ticket office in Dunsmuir. (updated Oct 2023)

There is so much scenery to see here, driving is not recommended save for when you really need to. Walking is probably the best option for if you are just doing a day stop. If you plan on spending enough time here, this option will give you enough time to enjoy the trails and scenery, but not put you behind schedule. The Third Wheel, 5824 Dunsmuir Ave., ☏ +1 530 235-2453. Third Wheel rentals. The Siskiyou County Stage bus has several stops in Dunsmuir, and travels to other towns and cities in the county.