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The
Rubicon Trail,
Georgetown,
California |
It’s
perhaps the
best known
four wheeling
trail in the
world. The
Rubicon Trail lies
about 80 miles
east of Sacramento.
The trail runs
through the
Sierra Nevada
mountains beginning
in the small
California hamlet
of Georgetown
to Lake Tahoe
at an elevation
of nearly 7000
feet above sea
level and a
total distance
of approximately
22 miles. |
Some
of the
Rubicon Trail’s more
famous obstacles
include the
likes of Post
Pile, Walker
Hill, Little
Sluice, Spider
Lake, Old
Sluice Box,
Chappie Rock,
Buck Island
Dam and Big
Sluice.
Other
places
of
note
include
Loon
Lake,
Ellis
Creek,
Soup
Bowl,
Thousand
Dollar
Hill,
Miller
Lake,
Uncle
Tom’s
Cabin,
Granite
Bowl,
Rubicon
Springs,
Syd’s
Grave
and
Cadillac
Hill. |
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Most
people opt
to begin the
trail via
McKinney-Rubicon
Springs Road.
This mid-point
entry runs
from Loon
Lake to Tahoe
and covers
about 12 miles
of serious
off road driving
through the
El Dorado
National Forest.
The
trail
begins
with
a
challenging
uphill
climb,
which
levels
off
and
heads
to
Ellis
Creek.
At
Ellis
Creek
the
trail
takes
another
uphill
turn
toward
Walker
Hill.
Walker
hill
is
the
first
really
challenging
portion
of
the
trail
consisting
of
sharp
turns,
loose
rock
and
overall
difficult
terrain. |
Past
Walker Hill
the trail moves
through a heavily
wooded section
and on to what
many consider
the most difficult
part of the
trail—Little
Sluice. An optional
route just before
Little Sluice,
leads to Tin
Can Alley, a
technical obstacle
consisting of
large boulders.
Little
Sluice is not
for the faint
of heart. Large
boulders dominate
this section
and make navigating
the trail extremely
challenging.
Hence the three
by passes that
offer less experience
wheelers a way
around the main
trail. Beware
though, even
the bypasses
are challenging,
so take it slow
and use a spotter. |
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Whatever
route you choose,
the trail eventually
leads to Spider
Lake. This high
mountain lake
offers good
fishing, great
scenery and
an overall perfect
spot for a short
rest. Also,
a quick detour
from Spider
Lake leads you
to Thousand
Dollar Hill.
Upon
leaving
Spider
Lake,
the
trail
splits
in
two
directions.
Either
way
eventually
leads
back
to
the
main
trail.
Taking
the
left
fork
leads
to
the
Granite
Slab
which
is
somewhat
less
difficult
and
also
less
time
consuming.
Going
right
at
the
fork
take
you
to
the
Old
Sluice,
a
more
difficult
section
of
the
trail.
Both
the
Granite
Slab
and
Old
Sluice
rejoin
just
past
the
bottom
of
Old
Sluice
and
the
trail
continues
toward
Buck
Island
Reservoir.
Following
the
edge
of
the
reservoir
leads
the
trail
down
to
Big
Sluice. |
Big
Sluice is another
difficult portion
of the trail
highlighted
by an abundance
of technical
rock crawling.
Sometimes called “The
Rock Garden”,
Big Sluice is
filled with
boulders and
takes a skilled
driver to traverse.
Once
you’re
through
the
boulders
of
Big
Sluice,
the
trail
crosses
the
scenic
Rubicon
River
and
down
the
Rubicon
Valley
to
Cadillac
Hill.
Cadillac
Hill
is
a
steep
section
of
trail
leveling
off
and
providing
a
wonderful
vista
of
the
Rubicon
Trail.
From
here,
the
major
obstacles
are
done.
Lake
Tahoe
and
hopefully
a
nice
cold
beer
are
approximately
45
minutes
away. |
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Remember
to tread lightly
and preserve the
Rubicon Trail for
those that follow.
Here are some
common sense
rules of the
Rubicon as posted
by the
Rubicon Trail Foundation:
1.
Stay
within
25’ of
the
middle
of
the
trail.
2.
Do
not
drive
over
vegetation.
3.
Stay
on
the
established
trail.
4.
Do
not
create
new
bypasses.
5.
Buckle
your
seatbelt
always.
6.
Be
courteous
to
others.
7.
Go
low
and
slow.
8.
Camp
away
from
water.
9.
Carry
a
portable
toilet.
10.
Pack
out
your
trash
and
waste.
11.
Don’t
drink
and
drive.
12.
Be
responsible
for
yourself. |
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2007 OffRoadReport.com.
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and conditions. |
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