Snowmobiling in Sierra County

Winter is a great time to explore the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Winter trails for snowmobilers wind through valleys and hills and around beautiful alpine lakes. Miles of groomed roads and trails offer excellent snowmobiling. Bassetts Station at the intersection of Hwy 49 and Gold Lake Road is a favorite staging area for snowmobilers. It is complete with a general store, cafe, restrooms, and gas station. Call ahead to verify if open and current hours. Open Seasonally.

Gold Lake Road is the main access route to many miles of trails. The trip to Graeagle is a favorite among locals.

Yuba Pass Snow Park, 13 miles north-east of Sierra City on Highway 49, accesses trails that reach the Little Truckee Summit staging area, Jackson Meadows reservoir to the South and Bassetts staging area to the north-west. Please note that Sno-Park permits are required—park without one and you'll get a ticket. Kindly DO NOT BLOCK Snow trails with cars.  Parking is limited, plan ahead.  Maps available at Forest Service Tahoe National Forest Winter Recreation Trail Map.  It is important that the snow groomer and rescue equipment have access to all trails in order to navigate safely and be able to cross the roads and Highway.  Purchase Sno-Park passes online.

Sierra Buttes Snowbusters snowmobile club holds monthly meetings in the winter and hosts numerous events through the season, such as group rides on weekends and a dinner ride to Sierraville. The annual Spaghetti Feed in March raises money for scholarships which are awarded to graduating seniors from Downieville High School and members’ families each year. For more information contact Sharon Grenier at 530-862-1577.

In the Sierra Valley, excellent snowmobiling can be accessed off the Little Truckee Summit area located between Sierraville and Truckee on Highway 89. There are six winter trails, restrooms, and plenty of parking. From here you can follow the groomed trails all the way north-west to the Yuba Pass and the Gold Lakes Recreation Area beyond that. 

The Treasure Mountain Loop in the Little Truckee Summit area provides groomed trails. 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.