Forest City Trails
About the Forest City town: Forest City
is a old mining town located in the hills south of Downieville Ca. During
the gold rush this was a very profitable mining area with lots of hard
rock mines dotting the hills. Now its more like a ghost town with just
a few folks living full time. Some of the buildings are leaners. Forest
City's houses are mostly privately owned although the land they reside
on is owned by the Tahoe National Forest. So this means you can park and
walk freely around town on the public land but the houses are private
so they are off limits of course. They have some mining displays in town
and folks are real friendly if you do see any. It is a cool mining town
to check out. FTA has a house on Tin Can Alley which is on the right,
off School Street as you pass the school.
There is a lot of trail building going on in Forest City these days. The
Forest Trails
Alliance has teamed up with the USFS to build a network of trails
in the area. Trails follow old mining trails, mining ditches and include
vista overlooks and other points of interest. Built for mountain biking
and designed for fun, these trails have banked corners, lots of switchbacks,
and alternate trials features for the more advanced riders. Intermediate
to advanced riders will enjoy these trails. Trails flow through dense
forests, crossing creeks and switchbacking up and down mountain ridges.
Designed for a 5% grade, most are suitable to ride in either direction,
although there usually is a desired route direction. Forest
Trails Alliance is a group of friends and trail builders who are interested
in preserving and expanding mountain biking opportunities in the area.
Connect with them if you are interested in helping. Here is another and
bigger area map of the local trails. Forest
City Map
Half of the Sandusky Trail was built fall 2007 {Trail
Work Pictures} The Ridge Runner and Highgrade trails were built in
2008 and finished in late spring of 2009, so they are nice now that they
have settled. The 3 trails trailhead at the Big
Tree parking on the Pliocene Ridge Rd. is a bit hard to see because
it was vandalized with a tractor spring of 2008 and again 2009 and 2010.
We hope to put a stop to this. The parking area's retaining
wall around the big pine tree will be rebuilt later this year, fall
2010 we hope. Any volunteers? Vandalized signs will be replaced too. Cell
phones barely work well once you pass Pike on the ridge, and it is a lightly
populated area. Alleghany, located on the other side of the ridge, has
a bar and store with a phone at Casey's Place.
Ridge Runner, and Highgrade, and Sandusky trails
loop: This route will probably be a popular loop. The downhill
on the Ridge Runner and Highgrade trails is full of every kind of switchback,
rolls and turns as you descend into Forest City. Built for mountain biking
this just completed loop is probably 12 miles with 1200 ft of climb. The
Ridge Runner and Highgrade trails were just finished late spring 09 so
they are groomed and very nicely settle in. The Sandusky has 14 switchbacks
and lots of fun features.You can start either at the Big Tree parking
area where the 3 trailhead parking area or in the Forest City town. I
like starting in Forest City for this ride so the ride ends with a fun
downhill. So park where you want I'm starting the ride in Forest City.
Forest City is on the right {east} off Mtn. House Rd. After parking, bike
through this small mining town. You pass some mining displays and a few
old houses. You can access the trail from town by either riding up Mountain
House road towards Downieville. Or you can ride through town to School
St. and catch the trail from there.Its a short way up Mtn. House Rd. after
passing under the power lines look for Sandusky Rd. that takes off to
the right. Is almost a mile from tow look for where you cross Sandusky
Cr., which is a rocky and rough but short section of road. Sandusky trail
takes off to the right after the small creek crossing. There isn't a sign
here so you have to watch for this right turn after you cross the creek.
Riding singletrack you climb the creek edge and cross the Sandusky Creek
on the Little
Bump Bridge. A few miles of trail will bring you to the bike
bridge across the North Fork Oregon Creek. Skip the next paragraph
if you came this way.
If you were wanting to catch the trail by riding through
Forest City town then take Main St. through the small mining town. It's
one block to the other end of town, take the left on School St. and climb
up the graveled road passing the old school on your right {FTA's cabin
is on the right here.} and a few more houses as you leave the town area.
The road becomes dirt and narrows and is a bit steep. Ignore the side
roads and continue on the main dirt road till you come to where it tee's
into the Sandusky Trail maybe a half mile from town. The route to the
Big Tree parking is to the right, but you might want to take a short ride
to the left and go see the new
bike bridge that the FTA
built in 2008 across the N. Fork Oregon Creek.
At the bike bridge more advance riders might like to ride
the alternate Pearl
Necklace of boulders dropping down to the bridge. After playing on
the new biker bridge head back and take the Sandusky trail south east.
Keep to the left at the "Y". You climb following the canyon
with some switchbacks and views of the Pliocene Ridge. After 2 miles or
so you cross the S Fork Oregon Creek. The trail continues leveling out
for a bit then some switchbacks for the last climb to the top of the ridge.
The Sandusky trail crests the Pliocene Rdge at the Big Tree Parking. Take
a break and take in the tremendous mountain views to the south. There
are 3 trails here, the Sandusky is the middle one. You will see where
the Ridge Runner is on the west end of the parking area. You will see
a small sign is a few feet into the trail. This new downhill trail drops
with a half dozen switchbacks of all types then kinda parrallels the out
of sight Pliocene Ridge Rd as it descends down the ridge.There are rocks
to jump and other thrills as well as great views of the canyons and Yomana
Mtn. This is a fairly fast trail and after 3 miles of fun you will see
a big flat rock on the right and a carron of rocks on the left. This is
where the Highgrade Trail begins. This trail is steeper than the Ridge
Runner averaging a 5% grade and is the favorite downhill trail. {This
is also near the intersection of the Pliocene Ridge Rd. and Mtn. House
Rd. if you want to access it.} Continue biking now on the Highgrade Trail.
You will see Mountain House Rd on your left. Trail climbs for a bit finally
peaking and then dropping down with plenty of switchbacks of all varieties
as you descend the thickly forested mountain ridge. As you get closer
to town you pass the Plum Valley Ditch Trail on the left, then you cross
a spring next to a small pond on the right. Here you see Mountain House
Road to your left below the Trail. You will continue another mile dropping
down the trail till you pop out onto Mountain House Road. You are at the
edge of town here continue to the right, to your car, if you parked in
Forest City. To the left will take you back up Mountain House Rd to the
Pliocene Rd that you would take a left on to ride the 3 miles back to
the Big Tree Parking.
Truckee Ditch Trail and the Sandusky Trail loop:
This fun loop is maybe 16 miles with 1300 ft of climb. Although
you can start in a few spots I enjoy starting my ride at the Big
Tree parking on the Pliocene Ridge Rd. where the 3 trails meet.
Take in the view before you head out on the trail. There are 3 trails
here so look for the trail that begins on the east side of the parking
area, the Truckee Ditch Trail. This singletrack contours the hill, slightly
descending, as you ride a old and empty miners
water ditch. You ride in the ditch and on the ditch's burm for a half
mile where you "tee" into the S. Fork Rd. Take a left here onto
the jeep road and after a few hundred feet of descending the rocky road
it dead ends. There is a trail sign here. It sez 6
miles to Henness Pass Rd. Back on singletrack you cross the S. Fork
Oregon creek climb a bit then descend back on to the ditch. The trail
has been groomed this year 2010, and is a beautiful singletrack. There
are logs
to ride for the more advanced and some easier
log jumps
in the trail. After a mile or so you come out of the forest to a view
area. You can see Forest City below from the trail here. In this open
area the Truckee Ditch trail takes a abrupt right with a impossible switchback,
leaving the ditch where it climbs up and around the back side of Yomana
Mtn. A nice climb for a half mile or more in the tree shade. After cresting
Yomana there is some down and up before a nice descent bringing you to
the crossing of the N.
Fork Oregon Cr. After crossing the small creek you find yourself back
on the ditch again contouring downhill with the hill. You pass under the
power lines as you continue on the ditch a bit more. Great view
of the other side of Yomanna and you can see that part of the ditch that
you didn't ride. Some climbing and then descending in the forest, then
you will notice a log landing and road below on the left. You pop out
onto a dirt road. Take a right here on the dirt road, climbing up the
road 200 ft or so then look to the left for continuation of the trail.
Once you get on it the trail is like a old road and you climb up this
a few hundred feet then take a left onto singletrack. You cross a little
creek here. There's a little log jump, and after that there is a little
downhill and you end up on a double track for a little bit. You ride the
double track for a very short way then look for where the singletrack
trail takes off to the right. There's a half mile of rolling then a half
mile of downhill sweet singletrack. Trail ends at the Henness Pass Rd.
{I missed the Ruby Bluffs Overlook, but it is worth the detour for the
view of the Downieville side of the hill. That section is to be rebuilt
soon I hear.} Where you pop out onto Henness Pass Rd. look to the left
and 100 ft away is the beginning of the Sandusky
Rd and trail.
Anyway the Sandusky Road is a downhill jeep trail that is down Henness
Pass a hundred feet from the where the Truckee Ditch Trail ends. There
is a trail sign at the beginning of Sandusky Rd. You start the Sandusky
trail on this jeep road. The first part of Sandusky Rd. descends and you
go down a ways and do a right turn and you will be next to a creek on
the left. You follow the creek for a little bit then the road splits,
take the downhill to the left, crossing Lucky Dog Creek.The road gets
rougher and after a bit you pass a wet spot with a small pond on either
side of the road. Then Sandusky Rd. wraps around the hill with a slight
climb and becomes a nicer road and gives you some views of the Pliocene
Ridge across the canyon. The road is nice for a bit then there is a downhill
and you will see Sandusky Creek on the right. Look to where the road turns
a bit rocky and before you cross the small Sandusky Creek look for the
singletrack trail taking off to the left. This is a hard turn to see so
look for the creek and watch for the road to be rocky.{If you miss this
unsigned turn you will continue on down Sandusky Rd. connecting to Mtn
House Rd. near town.} Sandusky Trail is a singletrack and continues from
here. You will climb up a beautiful section of trail and cross the Little-bump
bridge across Sandusky Creek. The trail climbs a bit and you can see
Sandusky Rd on the right just below the trail. After a few miles of rolling
trail you pass under power lines, the same ones you passed under earlier
on the Truckee Ditch Trail.You will see a mining sign, warning of the
N.
Fork Mine that is below the trail. After the mine warning sign its
just a short way to the N. Fork Oregon Creek Bike Bridge. Here you you
will pass over a new mountain biking bridge that FTA
built in 2008. Notice the "Pearl
Necklace" of boulders for the more advanced riders to play on.
After enjoying the creek crossing you continue a short way and the trail
will split with Sandusky Trail to the left. {The right trail will drop
you onto a dirt road then on to School House Rd that descends into Forest
City} Its about 3 more miles of moderate uphill after the bridge crossing
before you finish this ride. The last section climbs with a number of
switchbacks in a thick shaded forest. There are some great views of the
Pliocene Ridge. You will cross over the small South Fork Creek. Trail
flattens out a bit here and then crosses the South Fork Jeep road. There
are more switchbacks as you ride the last section to the top of the ridge.
Here you pop out at the Big Tree parking at the top of the ridge.
I think I counted 14 switchbacks on the Sandusky trail. The Truckee Ditch
trail has quite a few too. There are lots of things to play on if you
are a more advanced rider, log and rock jumps, and the coolest is the
Pearl Necklace. I saw some young kids on unicycles trying to ride it the
other day. You can ride this loop either way, Sandusky is a great downhill
too. If you still have energy after this ride conceder riding the Ridge
Runner and Highgrade trails downhill to Forest City and then ride back
on the pavement. This loop is a favorite ride of mine already... enjoy.
Plum Valley Ditch Trail: This trail follows
a old mining ditch above Oregon Creek. Maybe 7 mile long with a 600 ft
drop. Access is off of the lower High Grade trail, or you can see the
trail cross Mtn House Rd., 1/4 mile out of Forest heading towards the
Ridge Rd. on the right.
If you start in Forest City, ride south on Mtn. House Rd. You can jump
onto the High Grade Trail on the left after passing the last house, and
then ride up it for a 1/4 mile or so till you see the Plum Valley Ditch
Trail turn off to the right. {If you pass the pond you rode too far.}
Or you can ride up Mtn. House Rd. and its about 1/4 mile on the right.
Look for the PVD sign. Trail is a double track road at first with a nice
downhill. After a 1/4 mile or so keep to the left at the Y. A short distance
later and you hop onto the berm of the old mining ditch. From here the
trail is fairly easy to follow as it stays on the ditch most of the way
to Oregon Creek Rd. You pass some gold mines as you descend the PVD Trail.
Miners have no sense of humor with trespassers so be aware and keep to
the trail when passing mines.
When you come to Oregon Creek Rd. there are a few options for the return.
If you take a left and head South up Oregon Cr. Rd. its a 1/2 mile to
Pliocene Rd. and another right or east, on that road and you can ride
the highway back to your car. I tried to ride Oregon Creek Rd. back to
Forest and found that it had a locked gate up the creek a ways. I was
told it was rideable but it didn't look that way. Another option is to
ride Miller Ranch Rd. up the hill to connect to Forest. I haven't ridden
that and it looks steep and sunny. One more option, that I haven't rode,
is near the end of the PVD trail before you come to Oregon Cr Rd. you
pass this dirt steep logging road. If you take a left on that, heading
up the hill, you connect with a main dirt logging road that connects with
the Pliocene Ridge Rd.
PVD is a very nice trail that drops through a forested canyon. For a long
downhill start at the Big Tree Trailhead, riding the Ridge Runner to the
Highgrade then down the Plum Valley Ditch trail. I'm guessing thats 1400
ft of downhill in 13 miles and lots of fun!
The Fish |
