Getting Here

The City of Weed is located off Interstate 5, about 50 miles south of the California-Oregon border. The next large town to the north on I-5 is Yreka, California; to the south is the City of Mount Shasta. U.S. Route 97 runs to the northeast and Klamath Falls, Oregon. The closest cities with a population greater than 50,000 are Redding, California (69 miles south) and Medford, Oregon (91 miles north). The physical address for the convention site is 800 College Ave., Weed, CA 96094 and the coordinates are 41.42° by -122.38°. The city's elevation is only 3,425 feet.

North, South, East or West, you're probably going to be on Interstate 5 at least part of the time. This is a major freeway, with few closures. Since it's the only major West-coast route from Mexico to Canada, CalTrans is pretty good about keeping it open. Exit #747 in Weed, California is the one you want to take for the convention site at College of the Siskiyous. After you take that exit, look for the iconic yellow caver signs to guide you the rest of the way. (or, just follow the directions below!).

From the North via Interstate-5 (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver)

Driving down the Western United States can be quite scenic. If you're really into volcanoes, this is the path for you! Check out our places along the way page for details about side trips. Most automated directions will tell you to take I-5 all the way from Portland, but we'd encourage you to consider US-26 and US-97 through Klamath Falls, Oregon. It adds about 45 minutes from Portland, but it's exceptionally pretty and goes by several caves along the way. If you choose this route, skip the next paragraph.

If you stay on Interstate 5, take it south to exit #747 in Weed, California. Follow the frontage road for about 1,000 feet to South Weed Blvd. Turn right on S. Weed Blvd. and go about 500 feet to College Avenue. Turn right on College Avenue and follow it around the park for about 2,000 feet. You'll drive right past the microbrewery! The entrance to College of the Siskiyous is well-marked. Turn into the campus and take the immediate right turn to drive past the athletic fields, which will be on your right. Start looking for a flashing red light at a stop sign. At this time, we expect our registration operations to be set up just past the stop sign near the tennis courts.

From the Northeast via US-97 (Klamath Falls, OR)

If you're in this general area, and have never been to Lava Beds National Monument, it truly is a must-see for cavers! You're so close, take the time. Seriously!

From Klamath Falls, Oregon, take US-97 South for 70 miles to Weed, California. This is the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway - a 500-mile All-American Road that connects from Crater Lake in Oregon to Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.

Once you arrive at the stop light in Weed, stay left and continue on South Weed Blvd. (aka: Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway / US-97). Drive about 1/2 mile, crossing under the I-5 freeway, until you get to College Avenue. Turn right on College Avenue and follow it around the park for about 2,000 feet. You'll drive right past the microbrewery! The entrance to College of the Siskiyous is well-marked. Turn into the campus and take the immediate right turn to drive past the athletic fields, which will be on your right. Start looking for a flashing red light at a stop sign. At this time, we expect our registration operations to be set up just past the stop sign near the tennis courts.

From the East via US-395 & CA-89 (Reno, NV)

It seems counter-intuitive, but Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California are almost exactly the same distance from the convention site. The non-stop drive from Reno is about 30 minutes longer, but far more scenic. If you have an extra few hours (or a day), we'd strongly suggest taking US-395 from Reno to CA-36 to CA-89 (through Lassen Volcanic National Park) and then CA-44 to I-5 to Weed, CA. If you're in a hurry, you can just plow through on US-395 to CA-89 (it's still pretty!). Either route is going to eventally dump you back onto Interstate-5 North, so the directions in the next section apply here... (Hint: flights might be cheaper into Reno.)

From the South via I-5 (Los Angeles, Sacramento)

Driving up California's great central valley, you will see farmland. Acres upon million acres of farmland - about 18,000 square miles of it. This is the iconic agricultural region of the state that runs about 450 miles north to south. Then, just as you tire of watching field after field, you'll arrive in the City of Redding. At that point, things get geologically interesting really quickly. We'd suggest you stock-up and gas-up in Redding. Things get progressively more expensive as you climb up into the Cascades in a few miles.

Stay on Interstate 5 north to exit #747 in Weed, California. Follow the frontage road for about 1,300 feet to the stop sign at South Weed Blvd. Turn left on S. Weed Blvd. and go about 960 feet to College Avenue. Turn right on College Avenue and follow it around the park for about 2,000 feet. You'll drive right past the microbrewery! The entrance to College of the Siskiyous is well-marked. Turn into the campus and take the immediate right turn to drive past the athletic fields, which will be on your right. Start looking for a flashing red light at a stop sign. At this time, we expect our registration operations to be set up just past the stop sign near the tennis courts.

Although there are far more caves in this area than there are airports, Weed, California is pretty easy to get to. A large part of your choice in airports will be based on what you might want to do or see before or after the convention. Check out our places along the way page for details about side trips. (Hint: flights might be cheaper into Reno.)
Airports Map

Major Commercial Airports

Regional Commercial Airports

The City of Weed has a small airstrip about 8 miles north of town. The field has no commercial flights, but would be ideal for private pilots. NSS cavers Mike Spiess and Daryl Greaser have offered to provide information and, if possible, ground services for our attendees that wish to pilot their own craft. Please visit Mike's website for additional details: http://caver.com/nss2021/.

Amtrak offers service in this area on their Coast Starlight Train, which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. The nearest Amtrak stations to Weed are located in Dunsmuir, California (to the south) and Klamath Falls, Oregon (to the north).

Coast Starlight Train. Photo courtesy of Amtrak.

The Dunsmuir Station is the northernmost passenger rail station in the state of California. The modern station has telephones and restrooms, but is not staffed by Amtrak. The station is maintained by city residents and local rail enthusiasts. Siskiyou County offers bus service to Weed on their Siskiyou Transit and General Express (STAGE). Fares are very reasonable, but service only runs a few times per day. There are no rental car agencies in Dunsmuir. In addition to the passenger waiting room, the depot houses the Dunsmuir Museum of the Dunsmuir Railroad Depot Historical Society, which has exhibits on local railroad history.

The Klamath Falls Station is the southernmost passenger rail station in the state of Oregon and is staffed by an Amtrak ticket agent. The historic depot was built in 1916 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Multiple rental car agencies offer services in Klamath Falls.