Highway 49 in Sierra County is one of the most scenic and historically rich sections of this beautiful highway. The National Forest Service has a brochure for a driving tour called 49 Miles Long Highway 49 which is available for free in most businesses in Sierra County, the Kentucky Mine Museum or any Tahoe National Forest office (Sierraville District 530-994-3401 or Downieville District 530-288-3231). The tour takes you to stops  in quaint, small towns, historic mining areas, along one of the most beautiful rivers of Northern California, and shows you some of the rich history contained within the hills and mountains of rural California.

There are 12 stops total described in the driving tour, 10 of them in Sierra County, and they are, starting from the southern end:

» Jouberts Diggings
» Indian Valley
» Indian Rock Picnic Area
» Goodyears Bar
» Downieville
» Loganville
» Sierra City
» Kentucky Mine and Museum
» Bassetts Station
» Yuba Pass

Many of the stops are located at or near archaeological sites within the Tahoe National Forest, and are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and other federal laws. Removal of artifacts or damaging, defacing, or destroying any parts of these sites and their features is a felony.