Stevens Trail
Also known as: Rutherford's Road
Why it's listed
Stevens Trail is a 6.19-mile footpath that links Colfax with the former mining town of Iowa Hill, descending into the North Fork American River canyon and climbing out the other side. John Rutherford surveyed it, and Truman A. Stevens finished it and gave it his name. Its main years of use were 1870 to 1895, when miners, homesteaders and pack trains travelled it and a toll was collected at a suspension bridge near Secret Ravine. The trail has a gentle grade with no switchbacks, supported by rock embankments, cut granite faces and rock-lined culverts, many still working. Placer County declared it a public road in the 1950s. Today it is a popular hiking route starting at a Bureau of Land Management parking lot. The bridge was destroyed in 1914, and about 1,400 feet near the Colfax end were replaced by a logging road in 1920, but the nomination reports that the remaining alignment and its views are largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the trail as a well-preserved example of a gently graded Sierra foothill trail, built with rock-supported embankments, cut granite faces and rock-lined culverts. It carried miners, homesteaders and pack trains between the two towns, and a toll bridge crossed the river. The surrounding viewshed is described as essentially unchanged for more than 130 years. The truncated text does not include the significance section, so the exact criteria argument is not visible.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02001391, listed November 20, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded Iowa Hill, canyon of North fork Of American R., until at Secret Ravine, top of ridge of Colfax, Colfax |
|---|---|
| County | Placer County |
| Listed | November 20, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001391 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1870-1895 |
| Architect / builder | John Rutherford (surveyed and owned); Truman A. Stevens (completed the trail) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Commerce, Industry, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as mostly undisturbed, with over 95% of the observed trail in excellent condition; the river bridge was washed away, and it is used as a popular hiking trail. |
| Acreage | 17.8 |
| Coordinates | 39.11332, -120.91328 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02001391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.