2022 49er at Quincy – Ride Descriptions

Special thanks to Richard Leevey, Bert Lankins and Steve Lawton for designing these rides just for the 49er as well as Ted Crum for optimizing our GPX files. 

We have put together a number of excellent GS rides along with two poker runs and a bonus Road ride.  The poker runs were designed by the River City Beemers.  You can pick up printed versions of the route and questions at Rally HQ.  The GS rides are only available in GPX format. 

Note that GS rides traverse mostly unpaved forest service roads that are in reasonable condition at the time of writing.  The poker runs and Mountains Lakes and Trains ride are pavement only and are suitable for any style of motorcycle.

To download individuals files for specific rides, click on the Ride Titles below.  If you want all the rides as separate files download our ZIP file of all the rides.  If you want a single GPX file with all routes, click here. 

Poker Runs.

We have two separate Poker run routes featuring some of the best roads Plumas County has to offer.  Along the way you will stop at some interesting and scenic areas.  Each ride is approximately 100 miles and will take between 2.5 and 3.5 hours depending on how long your stops area

2022 49er Poker Day 1 Route.GPX

2022 49er Poker Day 2 Route.GPX

Richard’s Friday GS Ride (93 miles)-Route

Richard Leevey will lead this ride on Friday morning (meetup 9 am, depart 9.30 sharp) but you can do the route any time on your own.  From the fairgrounds it’s 2 miles to Chandler rd. where we jump onto the 12 miles of wide, well used, well-maintained dirt logging roads that take us up over Hough Mountain and into Taylorsville. From there It’s 10 miles of paved road to get us to the next section of offroad which is 14 miles of wide-open well-maintained gravel roads up to Antelope Lake. We’ll take a loop around the lake with a rest stop to enjoy the scenery before heading down the 20 miles of the twisty paved Indian Creek rd. and back to Taylorsville. We’ll stop at the Taylorsville store for a beverage and snack break before taking Arlington rd. and hwy 89 S. back to the fairgrounds. The total loop is about 93 miles. The ride time is approximately 3 1/2 hours but it’s reasonable to add two hours of breaks for a total of 5 1/2 hours. We should be back to the fairgrounds by 3 PM.

Bert’s Ride #1 – An Easy GS Ride (45 miles)-Track

A 45 mile upaved tour following forest trails in the hills above Quincy, looping west towards Bucks lake and then back to Hwy 70 a few miles north of Quincy.  These trails are well maintained and perfect for beginners, offering views of Quincy and the mountains to the east from high ridge top vantage points.  The second half of the ride traverses some burn areas from last year’s fire.  The route crosses Buck’s Lake road at the half way point, where you can continue on the route or take a short cut back to the Fairgrounds on the paved highway. This is a fun ride for riders of all skill levels.  Allow 2 hours ride time for the complete loop, but be sure to stop often to enjoy the remote scenery.

Bert’s Ride #2 – Another GS loop (46 miles) -Track

This 46 mile loop starts with a short run north on Highway 70 until a turn onto unpaved roads and forest trails heading east then south to rejoin Hwy 70 a few miles east of the Fairgrounds. The unpaved section covers approximately 30 miles.  The roads are not as well maintained as Bert’s Loop #1 but are still quite manageable for an enthusiastic beginner.  Be cautious around any remaining puddles - the mud can be slick. The trail traverses stunning back country scenery and some burn zones from last year’s fire.  This is a must-do GS ride.  Allow 2-3 hours.

GS Bridge Ride (60 miles) -Track

A pleasant, easy GS ride starting on Old Sloat ride off Highway 20, south of Quincy.

Riding a short 1-mile ride into the old historical town of Sloat you will come upon a monument about the short history of the town. Going over the railroad tracks it turns into an easy gravel road. You will be riding through shaded  forest that has been tinged by fire for the first half, then you’ll have sweeping valley views that show how destructive fire can be.  The destination is a bridge-crossing with a strong stream that’s flowing with winter runoff.  This is the recommended stop point, because the road changes into a rocky uphill section. It does smooth out, but becomes very rocky about 4 miles up and then you’ll be stopped by deep snow.

GS Smith Peak/Beckwourth/Taylorsville Ride (105 miles)-Track

This ride heads south to the town of Portola where you’ll turn toward Lake Davis on a nice gravel road.  Ride 1 ½ miles before turning left again. This is where the adventure begins.  The track up to Smith Peak is a little rough due to forestry work to remove downed trees.

At the summit, if the road is clear up to the forest service lookout at the top of Smith peak, you might want to check it out. The road eventually meets a smooth gravel road that will take you to Beckwourth/Taylorsville Road. 

Turning left takes you to the town of Genesee, approximately 20 miles down a beautiful road following the Little Grizzly Creek which is full and rushing with the spring runoff. Make sure to stop along the way to peer into the deep river canyon to enjoy the views. The ride can get a little rocky at the bottom.

It is a street ride through the two truly beautiful valleys of Genesee and Indian Creek to highway 89 and 70. Turning left toward Quincy on Highway 70, you’ll have one more opportunity to take a 19-mile-long shortcut, which is 1¼ mile up and on the left. This connects to Bert’s GS ride, which has something for everyone. This will drop you down into the fairgrounds.

Or you can just slab it into Quincy for 9 miles.

GS Smith Peak/Beckwourth/Genesee ride (124 miles)-Track

Go south on Highway 70.  Three miles before Portola, turn left at the NFS sign to Willow Creek Road. This is an easy GS ride up to Smith Peak. The road eventually meets up with a winding gravel road that takes you to Beckwourth/Taylorsville Road. Turning right takes you down a wide dirt road over the top of Lake Davis, until you come to a left turn on the track. This turn takes you along a graded road going over Bagley Pass to Beckwourth/Genesee Road.

Beckwourth/Genesee Road is an easy gravel road through forests showing various stages of burn from multiple fires. The first section is through forest in the earliest stages of rejuvenating from the ravages of fire. Vistas are now open that weren't available before. The last half takes you through areas that were totally wiped out by the fire. But as you travel here alongside the Red Clover River, the mountains carpeted in green undergrowth with their contrasting burned toothpick trees are a view to behold. This 20-mile track from the turnoff drops you on to Indian Creek Road. You can bail here and ride to Taylorsville, after making a left turn or continue to the track on the left.

If you choose to continue, the next section of track takes you from the end of Beckwourth/Genesee Road up into the mountains above gorgeous Genesee Valley. After meandering through areas slightly tinged by fire for 14 miles to Beckwourth/Taylorsville Road, which was described earlier, turn right to continue down to the town of Genesee.

It is a street ride through the two truly beautiful valleys of Genesee and Indian Creek to highway 89 and 70. Turning left toward Quincy on Highway 70, you’ll have one more opportunity to take a 19-mile long shortcut, which is 1¼ mile up and on the left. This connects to Bert’s GS ride, which has something for everyone. This will drop you down into the fairgrounds.

Or you can just slab it into Quincy for 9 miles.

GS Mt Hough ride (66 miles)-Track

This ride heads north on Highway 70. Turn right on Highway 89 to Arlington Road toward Taylorsville. Just before Taylorsville is the start of China Grade Road. Following this to the top puts you at an intersection where turning right will lead you to the Mt. Hough forest service lookout. At this writing, the very top was still snowed in. Following the track back down gives you terrific vistas of the valley below. The track takes you through beautiful forested areas, ending back south of the fairgrounds on highway 70.

Mountains, Lakes and Trains – A Paved Ride with GS Option (120 – 160 miles, 3-5 hrs)-Track and Route

This pavement ride heads south through Graegle to seek out some spectacular riding among the last of the season’s snowfields on Gold Lake Road.  Shortly after turning onto Gold Lake Hwy you can take a side detour up Frazier Falls Rd for some beautiful views of the back country (turn around when you hit the snow bank). Back on the main trail, stop at any of the beautiful lakes (Gold Lake, Goose Lake, Snag Lake) for a picnic or continue on to Bassett’s Station for supplies or lunch at the general store.  

Continuing east on Hwy 49, watch out for the last of the season’s sand and gravel as you navigate delightfully twisty roads until you turn north on Hwy 89.  Portola McLears Rd takes the back way into Portola where you can visit the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. The Museum has an extensive collection of rail cars and locomotives, and offers caboose rides every 15 minutes.  Opening hours are 12 – 4 pm Friday, 10 am – 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. 

The ride is approx. 90 miles to Portola.  From Portola, pavement-only riders will return to Quincy on Hwy 70 for a total distance of approximately 120 miles.  

GS riders may choose to add a 70 mile loop from Portola via Lake Davis (where the road turns to well-maintained gravel) through the beautiful Genesee Valley to Taylorsville, where you can pick up a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage at the Taylorsville Tavern before rejoining Hwy 70 and returning to Quincy.  The forest portion of this loop is approximately 20 miles and is more challenging than the other rides, with some “dramatic canyon views” requiring more careful choice of line.  However, the entire ride is well within the capabilities of large ADV bikes.  Total distance for the paved and GS option is 160 miles.