State Route 161 (SR 161) is a 19.36-mile (31.16 km) state highway in Siskiyou County, California, United States, that runs along the California–Oregon state line between U.S. Route 97 (US 97) northeast of Dorris and California State Route 139 (SR 139) in Hatfield. SR 161 is part of the Medicine Lake Loop section of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.
 State Route 161 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SR 161 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Caltrans | ||||
| Length | 19.36 mi[1] (31.16 km) | |||
| Tourist routes |  Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  US 97 northeast of Dorris | |||
| East end |  SR 139 in Hatfield | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | California | |||
| Counties | Siskiyou | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
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SR 161's western terminus is at a T intersection with US 97, northeast of Dorris and just south of the border with Oregon. SR 161 then travels east past Indian Tom Lake, bending to the south and passing by Lake Miller and Sheepy Lake. The highway then continues past the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and near the northern edge of Lower Klamath Lake. It then resumes paralleling the state line again, with some stretches actually running directly along the border and segments of the westbound lane inside Oregon's territory. SR 161 then ends at SR 139 in Hatfield, immediately south of the state line where SR 139 crosses the border and becomes Oregon Route 39.[2]
SR 161 is not part of the National Highway System,[3] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.[4] SR 161 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System,[5] but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation.[6]
SR 161 is part of a spur route of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, an All-American Road, that heads towards Tule Lake and Lava Beds National Monument.[7]
Major intersections
editExcept where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary ().[8] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The entire route is in Siskiyou County.
| Location | Postmile [8][1][9] | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 0.37 | US 97 – Dorris, Weed, Klamath Falls | Western end of SR 161 | ||
| Hatfield | 19.36 | SR 139 – Tulelake, Klamath Falls | Eastern end of SR 161; connects to Oregon Route 39 | ||
| State Line Road east | Continuation beyond SR 139 | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also
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References
edit- 1 2 California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
- ↑ California Road Atlas (Map). Thomas Brothers. 2008.
- ↑ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: California (North) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ↑ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Article 2.5 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets & Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ↑ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ↑ "Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway web site". Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- 1 2 California Department of Transportation. "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
External links
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- Caltrans: State Route 161 highway conditions
- Caltrans Traffic Conditions Map
- California Highway Patrol Traffic Incidents
- California Highways: Route 161