Mt. Hough is on track to become California's next MTB mecca with a 38-mile expansion

For many years, mountain biking in the Lost Sierra region of California was anchored in the town of Downieville. Downieville was made famous by the epic Downieville Downhill Shuttle Run and made famous by the Downieville Classic race and festival. Now the radius of mountain biking opportunities is expanding dramatically to encompass the entire Lost Sierra, with newer trail development taking place on the opposite side of the Pacific Crest Trail near the towns of Quincy and Graeagle.

In fact, this shift in focus from the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) is so dramatic that it has closed the legendary Yuba Expeditions bike shop and shuttle service in Downieville to focus exclusively on its location in the town of Quincy, an hour and fifteen minutes away Car removed.

But when you learn what SBTS is working on in Quincy, it will all make sense.

In short, the SBTS completes a 38-mile expansion of the Mt. Hough trail system, increasing the total trail mileage on the mountain above downtown Quincy to 70 miles of bike and motorcycle approved singletrack.

Mt Hough Phase I was already epic, but it gets even better.

Before construction began on the second phase of the trail expansion, Mt. Hough already had over 30 miles of singletrack, including an epic 12-mile top-to-bottom commute that gains approximately 4,200 feet of elevation gain and requires less than 400 feet of climbing .

When I visited the Lost Sierra in 2020, I focused on exploring the trails around Downieville and Graeagle. When I posted photo updates on Instagram, several people spoke up and said that I had Riding Mt. Hough. This was the rare case where social media actually came in handy as I changed plans and drove over an hour away from my base of operations to fit on a Mt Hough shuttle.

And it was epic!

The original descent is a flowing, moderately difficult trail that has largely no technical features apart from a sharp contour line at the summit. Still, it's just plain fun to zoom through the pines while diving over 4,000 feet of elevation gain in this remote corner of the Sierra, and it has the added benefit of ending at a shockingly cold swimming hole – perfect for 90-degree average temperatures – Summer days.

Two more top-to-bottom runs follow in Phase II

This 38-mile expansion adds two additional top-to-bottom runs on the mountain – which is why Yuba is investing in its shuttle operation in Quincy. “It's really cool to have that variety for people, to have two more ways to go from top to bottom, and we're using more of the mountain,” said Nicole Formosa, marketing and communications manager for SBTS.

These new trails will also offer a variety of trail quality and character. “Topographically, the Indian Falls Ridge Trail looks very different than the Hough Trail. [It’s] “It’s rockier on this side,” Formosa said. However, riders should not expect any special descents or jump trails as all of these trails are still designed for oncoming traffic, including motorcycles.

While there will soon be three runs from top to bottom, there are already other routes on the lower mountain that offer different options for completing the runs. The rest of the trail kilometers come from here.

Finally, one of the most exciting parts of this phase of development is the completion of a 13-mile singletrack connection from Quincy to Taylorsville. According to Formosa, it is considered the “first connector of the Connected Communities project.” This will be “the first.” [singletrack] Connection between two communities” in the Lost Sierra.

And it’s all e-bike legal

All Mt Hough trails are open to motorized travel. In fact, “Mt. “Hough has historically been supported largely by OHV dollars,” Formosa said. “So the California OHV Green Tag funding was largely the grant that funded Hough.”

The estimated total project cost for Phase II is $1,425,875 and at least $932,265 has already been raised. The majority of funds raised to date come from OHV funds and a private donation from the Negley Flinn Foundation. However, according to Formosa, that $923,000 figure “does not include corresponding requirements for the OHV grants and other indirect costs, which are expected to bring this number closer to the projected $1.42 million when the project is completed in the year.” “Completed in 2025.”

The Mt Hough funding also includes “$157,370 in annual project maintenance costs for the Hough trails, which will be a recurring cost each year,” Formosa said. “All of this is funded through a combination of OHV grants, private donations (like Negley Flinn) and fundraisers (like our 5 Bikes a Foot fundraiser).”

The fact that these routes are all permitted for motorcycles means, by extension, that they are all accessible to e-bikes. If you're looking for a place to climb the mountain on an e-bike and enjoy fast, flowing descents, consider putting Mt. Hough on your list for your next road trip.

Although the trails are permitted for motorcycles, Formosa says they are not overrun by dirt bikes. “Yeah, you see some motos, you hear some motos. But there’s just so much out there,” Formosa said. “I mean, motorcyclists definitely ride it. But as far as the trail conflict goes, it just doesn’t seem like it’s even a thing.”

Most of the routes are already finished.

At the time of writing, 29 miles of the 38 miles planned in Phase II have already been completed, with the remaining nine scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. As mentioned above, when completed, the Mt. Hough trail system will feature an impressive 70 miles of singletrack with three distinct top-to-bottom runs and singletrack connecting the communities of Quincy and Taylorsville.

It's a great time for mountain biking in the Lost Sierra, and it's only getting better!