Origin
Blue Lake, CA
Late night in Blue Lake on Tuesday
Local time
2:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Blue Lake, CA to Willow Creek, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
32.2 mi
52 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Blue Lake, CA
Roman Lukyanenko
Willow Creek, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick excursion through Northern California, the 32.2-mile journey from Blue Lake to Willow Creek is an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend about 38 minutes behind the wheel, making it a highly manageable drive that requires no overnight stops. Budget roughly $7 for fuel to cover the distance as you transition through the Pacific Coast region. Navigating via Blue Lake Boulevard, the Trinity Highway, and the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, you will find this route is straightforward yet engaging. Because the drive is short, it offers great flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to easily complete the round trip in a single afternoon.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity Highway | 31.5 mi | 35m |
| Blue Lake Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Bigfoot Scenic Byway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Trinity Highway
— 31.5 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Blue Lake, CA and Willow Creek, CA.
1
Start on Blue Lake Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
2
Continue on Blue Lake Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
3
Turn right onto CA 299
32 mi
·
35 min
·
Trinity Highway
4
Turn left onto CA 96
69 ft
·
1 sec
·
Bigfoot Scenic Byway
5
Arrive at destination
CA 96
Heads-up: tricky spots
2 of 22 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 32.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CA 299 / Trinity Highway
Turn right onto CA 299 / Trinity Highway
Navigation decision point
3
32.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
CA 96 / Bigfoot Scenic Byway
Turn left onto CA 96 / Bigfoot Scenic Byway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.40 one way
$14.80 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.63 | $15.25 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.83 | $15.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.11 | $14.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.38 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Willow Creek, CA
Late night in Willow Creek on Tuesday
Local time
2:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will spend your time on two-lane roads, as this route features zero percent highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 31.5 miles along the Trinity Highway, where the road’s personality is defined by its constant curves and local character. Unlike high-speed transit corridors, this drive keeps you engaged with the road layout as you wind your way toward Willow Creek. Prepare for a technical driving experience that prioritizes local navigation over fast-paced highway travel.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
5 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.5 mi on Trinity Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near CA 299 / Trinity Highway.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Blue Lake, CA to Willow Creek, CA is easy. At 38m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (CA 299 / Trinity Highway): Navigation decision point; at 32.2 miles (CA 96 / Bigfoot Scenic Byway): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
2,635 ft
130 ft
Total Climb
3,688 ft
Total Descent
3,226 ft
Highest Point
2,635 ft
~23 mi in
Elevation Range
2,505 ft
Notable High Points
2,258 ft at ~11.5 miles
+548 ft prominence
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 32.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.5 miles on Trinity Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (CA 299 / Trinity Highway): Navigation decision point; at 32.2 miles (CA 96 / Bigfoot Scenic Byway): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Willow Creek, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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