Skiing & Snowshoeing in Sierra County

All throughout Sierra County, winter trails for skiers & snowshoers wind through breathtaking valleys and hills and around beautiful alpine lakes. Winter is a great time to explore the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Miles of groomed roads and trails offer excellent cross-country skiing.

Bassetts Station at the intersection of Hwy 49 and Gold Lake Road is a favorite staging area for cross-country skiers as well as snowmobilers. It is complete with a general store, cafe, restrooms, and gas station. Gold Lake Road is the main access route to many miles of wilderness trails. Call ahead to verify whether it is open, and hours. 

Yuba Pass Snow Park, 13 miles north-east of Sierra City on Highway 49, gives you access to trails that reach the Little Truckee Summit staging area, Jackson Meadows reservoir to the southeast and Bassetts staging area to the northwest. Lunch Creek Trail is a cross-country/Nordic skiing only trail. Tubing, sledding, snowshoeing, and snow camping round out the winter fun in this large snowpark facility. Snowpark permits are required. Snowpark permits are required. Purchase them at:  http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1233.

In the eastern part of the county there is excellent cross-country skiing on Henness Pass Road east of Highway 89 (between Sierraville and Truckee); the Wheeler Loop traversing the Kyburz Flat area is an area with no snowmobiles allowed and a beautiful outing on any day -- bring a picnic and enjoy your surroundings.

Also along Highway 89 going South, the Treasure Mountain Loop in the Little Truckee Summit area provides groomed trails for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.

Other groomed trails in this area include the Pass Creek Loop, which leads to Jackson Meadows Reservoir, and the Prosser Creek Connection Trail, which travels from the Summit along Prosser Creek downhill into Nevada County, where it ends near Prosser Lake.