Foresthill Road & Bridge
Auburn / American River Canyon · near Auburn · Gold Country & Central Valley
Road Cycling
At a glance
- Distance
- long
- Best season
- Spring & fall; hot in summer; green in spring
What is here
- Scenery
- forest
- Amenities
- California's highest bridge · American River canyon scenery · Gold Country foothill forest · Auburn trailhead-town base
- Best for
- A Gold Country canyon-and-bridge climb
- Features
- Cross California's highest bridge · American River canyon country · Forested Sierra foothills · Historic Auburn base
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Canyon heat in summer — ride early · Road traffic to Foresthill — use shoulders · Winding canyon descents — control speed · Carry water — limited services in the canyon
- Beginner friendly
- No
Road Cycling detail
- Ride types
- climb
- Road
- mixed
- Climbing
- 4
- Ride notes
- A Gold Country canyon ride from Auburn — the route crosses the soaring Foresthill Bridge (California's highest) high above the American River, then climbs into the forested canyon country of the Sierra foothills
- Stats note
- Climbs from the American River canyon via the Foresthill Bridge; foothill forest
- Seasonal
- No
- Intl tip
- One of the signature road rides of the Gold Country — out of Auburn across the spectacular Foresthill Bridge, the highest bridge in California, soaring ~730 ft above the American River confluence, then up into the forested canyon country toward historic Foresthill. A jaw-dropping landmark plus satisfying foothill climbing and green oak-and-pine canyon scenery. Hot in summer (ride early; spring and fall are best, spring gorgeously green); limited canyon services (carry water); use shoulders on trafficked stretches; control the winding descents. Based in cyclist-friendly Auburn.
The guide
The ride out of Auburn into the American River canyon is one of the signature road outings of the Gold Country — a route that c…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Foresthill Road & Bridge — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.9, -120.95