Burnett Cutoff

The Burnett Cutoff is described (along with the Lassen Trail) in a Trails West guidebook which may be available for purchase in the CTIC gift shop or you can purchase it directly from Trails West on their website.

The quotes from Burnett on most of these markers come from his book Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer which can be downloaded from the Library of Congress.

Marker BC-1 / A-44

AT KLAMATH [TULE] LAKE

"We followed the Applegate route to Klamath Lake [Tule Lake], where we left that road and took a southern direction. Thomas McKay, myself, and five others ... went on in the advance of the wagons to discover the best route" - Peter Burnett, October , 1848

Marker A-44 from the Applegate Trail is also on this post. You can use the button below to go to the Applegate Trail tour.

Marker BC-2

MUDDY WATER

"We passed over ... smooth prairie for some distance. One evening we encamped at what was then called Goose Lake [at Copic Bay]. It being late in the season, the water in the lake was very low, muddy, and almost putrid." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-3

OVER A PRAIRIE

"The water [at Copic Bay] being so bad, we drank very little, and left early next morning [over a prairie]." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-4

TOWARD TIMBER MOUNTAIN

"We travelled over prairie some twenty miles toward a heavy body of timber in the distance [Timber Mountain]" - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-5

ACROSS BARREN GROUND

"Burnett's road-hunters skirted the lava fields to the west as they headed southerly. They crossed Dry Lake, which had only scattered ponds of water, and entered an area of scattered brush and rocky ridges."

Marker BC-6

A ROCKY CEDAR-GROVE

"After crossing Dry Lake, Burnett's road-hunters "then entered a rocky cedar-grove about six miles in width." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-7

A ROUGH ROAD

"As our horses were not shod, their feet became sore and tender while passing over this rough road." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-8

AN INDIAN TRAIL

"We then entered a vast forest of beautiful pines. Our pilot [Tom McKay] told us that ... we should find in the pine-timber an Indian trail; and, sure enough, we soon came to a plain horse-path through the open forest." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-9

A SMALL, DRY PRAIRIE

"We followed this [Indian] trail until sunset, and encamped in a small, dry prairie, having travelled all day beneath a hot October sun without water. Our little party were sober, solemn, and silent." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-10

A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE STREAM

"We left this dry and desolate camp ... next morning ... one of our party saw a deer, and followed it to a beautiful little stream of water, flowing from the hills into the forest. We spent the remainder of the day on the banks" - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-11

TO HESS FLAT

"We left [the beautiful little stream] next morning, thoroughly refreshed and rested; and" [continued south to Hess Flat]" - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker BC-12

TO ROSE CANYON

"Burnett's road-hunters continued south to the head of Rose Canyon. They descended this canyon to the Pit River."

Marker BC-13 / L-13

A NEW WAGON ROAD

"We came in sight of Pitt River, ... it was here but a small creek, with a valley about a half mile wide. When we had approached near the stream, to our utter supirse and astonishment, we found a new wagon-road [Lassen's Trail]." - Peter Burnett, October, 1848

Marker L-13 (part of the Lassen Trail) is also on this marker post. Use the button below to go to the Lassen Trail.