ride area ideas, North-central CA, Placer County

[mack]

Planning two-plus week cycle/hiking vacation, good portion of it; Placer County and west of lake Tahoe/Auburn/Nevada City and then Northern CA as we return to Wisco....

Looking for ride (area) ideas, I would love to find some unpaved forested park rds, access rds, logging rds, etc. 40-80+ mile loops would be nice.

Bringing an all-arounder and two wheelsets, one 25c tires and one 35c.
Thanks
-mack

[smead]

Out of auburn, you can do a stunning ~80 mile loop, stunning in terms of insane climbing, and beautiful isolated pavement. Check out a loop from auburn that goes to Colfax, iowa hill road, foresthill road, back to auburn. If you have time, take mosquito ridge road out and back out of foresthill.

Many other great foothill county and forestry roads in and around auburn ...

[kestrel58]

Here's another classic country route (back when I lived there 20 yrs. ago). From Auburn, ride north on the western side of I-80 using Placer Hills Road to an intersection south of Colfax call Dog Bar Rd.

Head northwest on Dog Bar (plunging steeply down, across & up the Bear River canyon) & ride on scenic, quiet country rds to the town of Grass Valley which should be about 25 miles from Auburn. Continue northward 5 more miles to the town of Nevada City. I did this as an out & back.

This was my favorite ride, with a lot less climbing than smead's route, which is another must do route.

You are heading to an area with challenging terrain & equally scenic vistas!

[christian]

One day, you should rent a mountain bike and go to Downieville.

[Hindmost]

Still a little further north of the areas already mentioned are:

Gold Lakes Basin/Graeagle area

Quincy La Porte road

Paved routes, scenic, relatively quiet.

[Peter B]

Here's another classic country route (back when I lived there 20 yrs. ago). From Auburn, ride north on the western side of I-80 using Placer Hills Road to an intersection south of Colfax call Dog Bar Rd.

Head northwest on Dog Bar (plunging steeply down, across & up the Bear River canyon) & ride on scenic, quiet country rds to the town of Grass Valley which should be about 25 miles from Auburn. Continue northward 5 more miles to the town of Nevada City. I did this as an out & back.

This was my favorite ride, with a lot less climbing than smead's route, which is another must do route.

You are heading to an area with challenging terrain & equally scenic vistas!

There are plenty of route options and variations along the Dog Bar corridor. I can help you find as much climbing as you'd like or just suggest some quiet, meandering variations.

If you choose to head south from Colfax into Shirttail Canyon and towards Yankee Jim's you'll discover some gravel options too. You can cross to Foresthill and then make your way (mostly) downhill back into Auburn.

Or keep going east from Colfax thru Dutch Flat to the turnaround at Drum Powerhouse.

For a long day take Smead's route thru Iowa Hill but continue up Foresthill Divide to Robinson Flat. You can double back from there to Auburn or continue over the top on about 6 miles of gravel and then descend Mosquito Ridge into Foresthill and then back to Auburn. But be warned this one will be about 100mi/10k+ climbing with no services between Iowa Hill and Foresthill, a long, very remote stretch.

Feel free to PM for more info.