Pinball

1. You are the Pinball!

by Gzkd, Friday, April 13, 2012 12:25 PM

Pinball is part of a network of motorcycle trails and dirt roads. Pinball itself, is shown on the map on the right side of the loop from road 4N02 down to about where it makes that right hooking turn. It is a one way trail, ridden from north to south. I think it is one of the more interesting of the network, as it follows a rugged, volcanic ridge line and has some great scenery, if you can take your eyes off the trail! Good maps are hard to find but as of 2012, you can go to Stanislaus National Forest home webpage, click "currently available" in the second paragraph; click "Quad Maps", then click on the Crandal Peak map. Pinball starts about a mile south-southeast of Crandal Peak and runs along that ridge. There are various ways to put routes together, but the one shown is a good way to go clockwise. People generally park at Lyons Lake, then cross the dam and immediately take a right on a singletrack that goes over to the road on the north side of the lake. From there it's possible to go either way to reach Pinball, turning right is the quickest. There is also an old railroad grade midslope above this road that is a good way to get there. There are other good trails in the area, but some are steep, eroded and full of loose rocks. You just have to explore and find the best ones and you can put together a super long, fun ride. Best time to ride is late April into June, then in the fall after some rain. My overall ratings are for the route shown, but can be better or worse depending on route taken and dust conditions.