California's shortest highway leads to gold | Bartell's Backroads
What Highway 153 lacks in its length it makes up for in its historic importance. It leads to the gravesite of California’s most famous prospector, James Marshall.
Author: John Bartell
Updated: 3:04 PM PST December 17, 2020
COLOMA, Calif. — The California State Highway system is made up of about 51,000 lane miles of road. The longest state road is Route 1, measuring in at 695 miles. The shortest state road is in Coloma -- the heart of "Gold Country."
Spanning just .5 miles is State Route 153. According to State Park Ranger Barry Smith, this is California’s shortest “standalone highway."