The Rubicon Trail is located in Northern California near Lake Tahoe in the Eldorado National Forest. The beginning of the trail is off Hwy 50 near Loon Lake and ends on the west side of Lake Tahoe at Tahoma. The trail start is approximately 2.5 hours from Sacramento (going east towards Lake Tahoe). For complete directions, go to the Directions Page.

The Rubicon Trail is officially classified as an unmaintained county road that runs through USDA Forest Service land as well as some private property (Rubicon Springs and Spider Lake areas). Placer County has the portion from the Lake Tahoe staging area to Cadillac Hill. Eldorado County has Cadillac Hill area to Loon Lake. Sierra Pacific Industries has some sections of land, as does the Rubicon / Soda Springs Property Owners Group. Respect private property. When in doubt, treat all lands as if they were yours and you wanted to hand them down to your children and family.

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Many folks take ATV's and dirt bikes, as well as mountain bikes through the Rubicon Trail. It's sure a faster trip than in a four wheel drive rig. You can rent an ATV from Lake Tahoe Adventures. You can take your dirt bike and run the whole trail. There's lots of options. So the answer to this question is yes, this trail is designed for it all. Naturally, it depends on your skill level. The most common comment I've heard from dirt bikers after they get through the trail is, I'm glad it's over! It's a lot of rocks.

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The best book I've found for the Rubicon Trail (and Tahoe trails in general) is by William C. Teie, Deer Valley Press, called 4Wheelers Guide to the Rubicon.

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