A Trinity Wilderness adventure — and nap

Driving home from our weekend spent at a freshly re-imagined cabin resort in the Trinity Alps, my (single) friend and I debated what the focus of this story should be — her quest to find a mountain man and hopefully leave the city life behind or my quest to take a nap.

Believe it or not, we were both successful. However, Carrie Bradshaw I am not, so the mountain man story will be hers to tell, which leaves me tasked with explaining to readers why retreating to Bonanza King Resort, and its surrounding area, led to the most peaceful nap I’ve had in a ridiculously long time.

Initially, the idea of visiting Trinity County was intimidating. What little I knew of this mountain range (which was strictly limited to our drives through it to get to the coast) is that it’s best to come with fishing poles, backpacking plans, rafting gear or a hunting license.

I like the outdoorsy life, but the Trinity Wilderness is for hardcore outdoor enthusiasts. So how does one ease their way in? I was in search of this answer, the same as I was in search of a nap.

My search uncovered perhaps a little known secret to outsiders, which is the abundance of creeks that flow into the larger lakes and rivers all around Trinity County. And this is exactly where we found Bonanza King Resort.

Steps away from Coffee Creek itself, it’s not only encouraged to sleep with your cabin windows open to hear the rushing water, there is also an option to rent a cabin with a screened-in room for a front-row view as you drift off to sleep.

The cabins being located creekside is one of many features that sets this resort apart from the rest, another being the recently remodeled and updated cabins themselves that are so neatly spaced within towering pines.

The road stretching north and also south of Coffee Creek is dotted with a dozen signs pointing the direction of many trailheads. If you haven’t set a destination, it’s easy to take your pick at random.

We opted for the Swift Creek to Granite Lake trail, but even on the way there were more forks in the dirt road for even more trails to explore. Many are day hikes that cross over creeks and meadows leading to pristine clear lakes, or you can backpack in and hike up to the peak of the Alps themselves for an extended overnight.

I like to pretend overnight backpacking is on my Trinity to-do list, but truth be told this recent trek included crossing paths with two bears, which promptly revoked my bravery card. John Muir, I am not. However, bears aside there is no shortage of beauty on these trails.

After this chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh and the subsequent adrenaline rush, we opted to tap back into our demure sensibilities with boutique-ing in Lewiston and frolicking with the expansive peony fields in Callahan.

Although seasonal, if you time your visit right you can enjoy acres upon acres of colorful peony blooms at the California Peony Company farm surrounded by mountains.

Lewiston is also a micro town (to be clear, every town in Trinity County is a micro town) with a smattering of shops and old relics at its only intersection, which has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and is fondly referred to as the Lewiston Historic District.

You can also enjoy river views, walking the town’s bridge and, if you’re lucky, chatting it up with Terri in her Country Peddler antique shop. Lewiston is uniquely charming and serves as a reminder that some thrills are simply discovering such a place exists.

But how does this all lead into a perfect nap?

Well, any successful adventure should leave one exhausted, so naturally having our resort centrally located meant being able to retreat to our own slice of paradise.

We rinsed our toes off in Coffee Creek, rolled out some blankets in the micro meadow of green that surrounds each cabin and nestled in like the forest fairies we believed to be. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves and stirred up the birds into lulling songs that echoed all around and I promptly dozed off.

Quest accomplished.

The weekend spent in the Trinity Wilderness felt simple, but luxurious. Bonanza King Resort is within walking distance to Trailhead Pizza, which we enjoyed both nights we were there as did a hundred others in the area that know it’s a five star experience.

It’s also a short drive to Trinity Lake, Yellow Jacket Eatery and historic buildings, but the main draw to this resort is how close it is to your dreams of staying in a cabin on the river in the middle of a forest.

Also in the area: Alpen Cellars (alpencellars.com) for wine tasting, and I would be remiss if I failed to mention the countless outdoor excursions in the region as a whole. The Bonanza King Resort is equipped for trout fishing in its own Coffee Creek (and plenty more family friendly activities), and there are additional outfitters ready to complete your adventure, such as 6 Rivers Rafting (www.sixriversrafting.com) or Trinity Fork Outfitters (trinityforkoutfitters.com).

To book your retreat at Bonanza King Resort, visit www.bonanzakingresort.com

To explore more in Trinity County, check out www.visittrinity.com

California native Dannah Nielsen explores the lesser known areas of our state and shares her travels in hopes to inspire you to find new and adventurous ways to also enjoy California. For more inspiration, follow @Ca.love.fornia on Instagram or contact her via email at dannah.nielsen@hotmail.com.