The highway meanders north from Willow Creek, and passes through the Hoopa Valley Reservation,  the largest Indian reservation in California.  Attractions include the Hoopa Tribal Museum and ancient Indian villages that date back 10,000 years.

Farther along Highway 96 is the pleasant community of Orleans,  situated along the Klamath River and borders the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests.

The Orleans Ranger Station has information on the nearby Marble Mountains, Trinity Alps, and Siskiyou Wilderness area.  The region has scores of high country lakes and miles of remote trails. 

Wildlife is abundant and it's not unusual to see otter, geese, osprey, bear, and even bald eagles.  More then 300 species of birds inhabit the area.

The site of a former logging and mining town, the Orleans area is now famous for its salmon and steelhead fishing and for some of the best whitewater in the state for rafting and kayaking.  Trips can be safe and mild for families, or wet and wild for those with more experience.  Mountain biking is also a popular pastime.

Orleans has a surprising amount of services for its size, including restaurants, motels, museum, gas station, deli, laundromat, grocery stores, RV parks and more.

About 10 miles north of Orleans is the hamlet of Somes Bar, where the Salmon River meets the Klamath.  The Salmon River is an astonishingly clean and beautiful wild river.  There are calm stretches and class IV and V rapids, which should only be run by experts

Farther north is Happy Camp, so named by a party of gold seekers who camped on the beach at Indian Creek in 1851.  The Karuk tribe were the principle inhabitants at that time and they continue their culture and lifestyle in the area.

At Happy Camp, Highway 96 becomes the Jefferson State Scenic Byway, named after a halfhearted attempt by area residents to secede from the state of California in 1941.