Sierra Buttes / Gold Valley Rim
Packer Saddle / Lakes Basin, Tahoe NF · near Sierra City · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Mountain Biking
At a glance
- Skill level
- advanced
- Trail miles
- 18-25 mi backcountry loop options; Big Boulder is an IMBA Epic
- Elevation
- High point ~7,100ft with sustained alpine ridge riding and long creek-side descents
- Best season
- July-October - highest terrain, very snow-sensitive
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- No
Mountain Biking detail
- Ride types
- all-mountain · xc · enduro
- Signature trails
- Gold Valley Rim · Pauley Creek · Big Boulder (IMBA Epic)
- Ebike
- Yes
- Ebike note
- Pauley Creek, Big Boulder and Gold Valley Rim are on motorized-legal segments where Class 1 e-bikes are generally permitted - confirm current status per segment.
- Intl tip
- Bring an offline GPS map (MTB Project or Trailforks) - the junctions are unsigned and it is genuinely remote. Pair it with a night at Sardine or Gold Lake.
The guide
The high-alpine, pedal-powered counterpart to the Downieville shuttle laps. Starting near the granite spires of the Sierra Butt…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Sierra Buttes / Gold Valley Rim — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.6206, -120.6512