Foresthill Divide

Description for Foresthill Divide

Forestthill divide is a rolling singletrack with 1600 ft of climb in a 11.3-mile loop. Suitable for strong beginners and intermediate skilled riders. This trail is below most snows and drains well so it can be ridden year around (it gets awful hot in the summer months though). The ride is a rolling singletrack, beautiful views, and easy access make for a great trail. Also check out the American River Confluence Trails for more local Auburn rides.

Foresthill Divide Loop Trail begins at the parking lot. There is a walking gate here at the start. After a 100 ft. you bear to the left and start climbing. Stay on the main trail and in a half mile you come to a trail "T". This is signed Drivers Flat 5 miles…either way… I like taking a right here and doing a counter clockwise loop. If you take the right you wrap around a hill out of sight of the highway. This is a very pleasant rolling trail (Picture) with some great views of the Middle Fork American River canyon. After a mile you join a dirt road (you can take the dirt road on the right for a better canyon view) and in another half-mile there's a left and the trail turns back to single-track. At about the 3.2-mile you cross a dirt road and then a wooden pedestrian bridge over a small creek. There is a spot ahead where the trail splits and rejoins and either route is ok. The trail drops onto a dirt road where there was a fire recently. Take a left here following the fire road. You turn off this road in a short distance but parallel it to where you drop into the Drivers Flat parking area. This is where the road drops down to Ruck-A-Chucky. Cross the Drivers Flat parking lot and look for where the trail continues, climbing up the hill. (Can be hard to see if there is a lot of trucks in the parking lot so look for the singletrack.) The loop trail parallels the Drivers Flat Road back to the Foresthill Road but intersects with the highway a little east of it. When you pop out onto the highway you need to continue up the road (east) for 100 yards where you cross the highway to access the eastern trailhead parking area. There is a porta-potty here as well as a picnic table. Keep to the left past the picnic table as you climb the single-track trail. You expect mostly downhill but it has a lot of short uphills too. On this side of the ridge there are short view of the canyon and the North Fork American River's Lake Clementine through the trees and brush. There is one dirt road to cross as you ride the singletrack to the highway crossing (Foresthill Road). The trail is just across the road but a little hard to see… Cross the highway here and you need to head up the road (east) 100 ft to where the trail continues…just cross the road and head up it a short way and you will see it. Jump back on the trail and in a quarter mile you take a right at the trail intersection…where the Drivers Flat 5 miles sign is. This is the leg of the trail you started on and it's a half-mile back to the parking lot.

Comments: I like to ride this trail in the winter months when everything else is closed due to snows. It's also nice in the spring when the flowers bloom…very pretty. This area is heavily infested with wildlife so be aware. This is a wintering ground for deer and other critters. There are ticks in the spring, especially if you hike off the trail. This trail is maintained by the State Parks and Fatrac Bike Club in Auburn and is kept in good condition. Of course there are horses and hikers out using the trail too so watch for them. The horse folks tend to use the eastern parking lot because it's bigger.
Its a good trail so enjoy,

Directions to Foresthill Divide Trailhead