Off-Roading and MotoCross Racing

An Adventure Around Every Dirt Road or Racing Turn

Off-Roading

Are you ready to get dirty? For the true fan of off-roading, getting a little bit dirty is all part of the fun. Whether you want to get behind the wheel of your own truck, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or bike or just want to watch, off-roading is a wonderful means of experiencing the magnificent mountains of Trinity County.

Caution: Make sure the trails or roads you want to traverse are ones where your kind of vehicle is allowed.

• Motor Vehicle Use Maps (USFS)

Trail resources:

• Off-Road Trails in and around Trinity and the Trinity Alps (Trails.com)
• Trinity OHV Trails – Hayfork

Popular Trails

Bowerman Ridge Trail

Bowerman Ridge Trail lies between the East Fork of Stuart Fork Arm and the southwestern side of Trinity Lake.

Special Attractions: The Bowerman Barn

Moderately challenging spur to a beautiful camp or picnic site on a narrow ridge above Trinity Lake. Camping, picnicking, boating, and angling.  High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable.

Expect a rough road surface; mud and sand are possible but will be easily passable. You may encounter rocks up to 6 inches in diameter, a loose road surface, and shelf roads, though these will be wide enough for passing or will have adequate pull-offs.

Bowerman Ridge Drive

Enjoy dramatic views of  Trinity Lake and Mt. Shasta. There is nearby camping at Alpine View. The drive is mostly a wide, graded road, except for one steep and narrow section. There are a few tight trees in a few places.

Deadwood Road

Deadwood Road is an easy run between Lewiston and French Gulch. Initially, the small single-lane road is paved because it accesses some private property, but it quickly turns to roughly graded dirt.

Special Attractions: Historic mining district along Deadwood Creek

There are many blocks of private property along this trail; side tracks given in the directions are not necessarily open for public travel.

There are only a few adits and tailings piles to indicate this was once a thriving mining district. From Deadwood, the trail climbs to a saddle. It becomes rougher and narrower on the east side and is best driven in dry weather. It can become extremely greasy in wet weather.

Fall colors along this road are spectacular—predominantly the golden yellow of big leaf maples and the yellow-brown of oaks along Deadwood Creek.

The trail connects the interesting settlements of Lewiston and French Gulch. High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable. Expect a rough road surface; mud and sand are possible but will be easily passable. You may encounter rocks up to 6 inches in diameter, a loose road surface, and shelf roads.

Hall City Cave Trail

This short loop passes the trailhead to Hall City Cave. The cave, set beneath a limestone cap, is reached by the easy graded dirt road and then a 0.3-mile hike. The cave is well marked as far as the final turnoff; then all markers disappear. Take the side trail and proceed to a parking area for cave visitors.

Special Attractions: Hall City Cave; Harrison Gulch mining ruins close to the trail.

The trail starts in the small community of Wildwood, a couple miles north of California 36.

A vehicle trail continues past the parking area, but it is blocked by a closure gate. The hiking trail leads out the back of the informal parking area, runs alongside Hall City Creek for a short distance, then crosses over the creek and switchbacks up the hill to the cave.

If, after crossing the creek, you find yourself continuing along the creek instead of climbing up the hill, you have overshot the switchbacks.

High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable.

Hobo Gulch Trail

Hobo Gulch Trail travels a vehicle corridor into the Trinity Alps Wilderness and ends at the Hobo Gulch USFS Campground and North Fork Trailhead. The route starts at the site of Helena on California 299.

Special Attractions: Fishing on the North Fork of the Trinity River, fall color viewing, and access to hiking trails into the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

There are a number of BLM and USFS campgrounds along the Trinity River near the start of this trail with access to rafting and fishing on the river.

High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable. Expect a rough road surface; mud and sand are possible but will be easily passable.

Off-roading Tips

Before you head out onto the Trinity trails, byways and back roads, it is important to get some essentials right. Be sure that you have a full gas tank, a tow rope for use in case of breakdowns, spare tires and tools for carrying out a tire change, portable air compressors, some GPS navigational aids, first aid kits to cater to emergencies and a means of communication, specifically a mobile phone with a long battery life.

There are certain extras that you can include for smoother off-roading such as fire extinguishers, spare water tanks and shovels. Ensure you familiarize yourself with your terrain and make preparations for every circumstance.

MotoCross Racing

in Hayfork at the Trinity County Fairgrounds

Motocross at the Trinity County Fairgrounds is a very fun and exciting sport where spectators get to mingle with the racers in the pit and out by the track, it’s a very family oriented sport often with multiple generations competing!

Hay-Town MX is committed to keeping the fun in Motocross Racing, the track was built for everyone to enjoy, from 3 years old up to veteran riders, and the big bikes with the most talented riders will find excitement and challenges on the track also.  Hay-Town MX is supported by volunteers almost entirely, there is a committed core crew that makes everything happen, along with several volunteers that flag on the track and help out with prepping the track for events.

NorCalRiderz is a grass-roots promotions group dedicated to bringing quality, exciting and fun moto sports to Trinity County, California.  Serving the interests and dedication of riders throughout the entire NorCal Region… We believe it’s “all about the riders”, we know that without the riders, we have no show!