You don’t need to pay for a shuttle in Downieville to get some great riding in. This trail is excellent for a e-mtb bike or excellent for a strong rider on an analog bike. The trail is challenging but not so much that you’ll need a helicopter rescue. This 25 mile, out and back will be rewarding
Find the parking lot at the end of Durgan Flat Way. It’s 1/4 West of the courthouse. The trail starts right there. It follows the North Yuba for a quarter mile, then you climb into the forest.
You’ll climb through some beautiful forest as you gain altitude with some fun switchbacks. When you get to a bridge, take a break and cool off. The creek is spring fed, so it’s cold and chills that little area.
From the bridge, continue on traversing the slope to your decent. This is the first of three excellent descents… watch your speed and call out on blind corners. The trail is skinny with a steep drops throughout – not a serious as the drops on 2nd Divide, but steep..
The Upper Section of the North Yuba Trail drops you onto The Old Toll Road in Good Years Bar. You’ll be back to the edge of the North Yuba. Go Left and follow the river flow into the tiny town of Good Years bar. At the stop sign go right across a bridge over the river and up to Highway 49. From here go Left for about a 1/4 mile.
Look for the road marker 11.92 a seen below. The trailhead to St Charle Hill can be seen in the right side of the photo. Take this skinny trail up to find some Golden Singletrack. Some of the local elitist riders have somehow forced this trail off of trailforks. Some of these guys claimed building the trail…they may have cleaned it, but they didn’t build it. We all own this property. Enjoy it.
A short distance will bring you to a unique sign made from chainsaw parts. Go Right here. Thanks to the dirt bikers that put this trail in. In the Fall of 2021 I helped some local MTB boys clear some of the upper section of fallen trees. It take a village to raise a trail.
If you want to grab some GPS information, take a look at the Strava link below. It also has a video of a Black Bear that I found near the top of St Charles Hill and some photos. It’s a great ride- Do It.
Also, in this Spring of 2023, the fishing is junk due to the massive runoff. You can catch fish but it is not productive and walking around the river right now is pain as well as dangerous.
If Strava isn’t you jam, below is a link to Ride with GPS info. Hope this helps you enjoy you time in the Lost Sierra.
