Skip to main content

Signed County Route E18

This past weekend I took a detour off of California State Route 49 in Tuolumne County onto Signed County Route E18 north to CA 4 in Calaveras County.


CR E18 is a 12.8 mile Signed County Route that was defined in 1974 according to CAhighways.org.

CAhighways.org on Signed County Route E18

CR E18 is signed completely on Parrotts Ferry Road.  While CR E18 wasn't added to the Signed County Route program until the 1970s Parrotts Ferry Road was noted as a significant County Maintained Roadway in Calaveras County and Tuolumne County on the 1935 California Division of Highways Maps.

1935 Calaveras County Highway Map

1935 Tuolumne County Highway Map

I approached CR E18 from CA 49 northbound.  Along CA 49 northbound there are several signs directing traffic to Columbia State Historic Park.





CR E18 northbound is well signed as has numerous reassurance shields.


CR E18 quickly junctions Columbia State Historic Park only a couple miles north of CA 49.


Columbia State Historic Park preserves the historic downtown section of Columbia.  Columbia dates back to 1850 and was once incorporated.  The population of Columbia at the height of the Gold Rush apparently ranged from 2,000-5,000 people depending on the productivity of mining in the area.  Main Street was declared a State Historic Park in 1946 and presently over 30 structures preserved from the height of the Gold Rush




















CR E18 bypasses Main Street in Columbia to the west on Parrotts Ferry Road.



Vallecito is signed as 8 miles to the north of Columbia along CR E18.



North of Columbia CR E18 begins to descend towards the Stanislaus River and New Melones Lake.  The descent on CR E18 is rather steep compared to CA 49 to the west. 





CR E18 crosses the Stanislaus River/New Melones Lake on a modern bridge into Calaveras County.  Parrotts Ferry used to be located near modern highway bridge.  Parrotts Ferry was in operation from 1860 until a bridge replaced it in 1903.






New Melones Lake is a reservoir along the Stanislaus River which was originally created when the first Melones Dam was completed in 1926.  The modern New Melones Dam was completed in 1980 which raised the level of the reservoir and flooded out the community of Melones.

The ascent along CR E18 from the Stanislaus River/New Melones Lake is fairly steep.  The alignment of CR E18 meets the Natural Bridges Trail Head and entrance to Moaning Caverns Park before terminating at CA 4 in Vallecito.







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...