OK, here are the 2 trailheads closest to TahoeDonner:rockslayer wrote: where are all these trails you guys talk about near truckee? the only place i know of is prosser pits
Sagehen Hlls/Prosser Hill - Leave TD going down Alder Creek Road, stop at Carpenter Valley Road, unload right there. Ride down Carpenter Valley Road about .5 miles, a trail turns off to right. You will go by a meadow, down a steep hill, then be cruising along Prosser Creek. There is a left that takes you across an actual paved/asphalt bridge crossing Prosser Creek and this will take you to the good stuff including all the way to the top of Carpenter Ridge. Or, skip the left and cruise out to Prosser Hill.
NOTE: If not coming from TahoeDonner, you can just head north on 89 and unload at the first paved OHV parking area you see on the left. This brings you in through the "official" front way, while the way above is kind of a back entrance.
Video: Sierra Spring
Coldstream Valley Area - Go down Northwoods to town, go to Donner Memorial State Park (maybe 1/4 mile west of Chevron station). Drive into park, then through park on dirt road. When you see the park boundary sign, unload. Head generally SW. Can cross under or over the RR tracks. Best stuff is motorcycle-only, goes up to the Sierra crest, but there is plenty of fun for a quad on roads and trails. Can get all the way up to the shoulder of Mt. Lincoln.
Video: Tracks and Trails
Other good ones:
Little Truckee Summit - If you can only go to one trailhead, this is the one. Tons of options. Ride over to Bear Valley OHV, Meadow/Bowman Lake Areas, Gold Lake/Valley, Plumas NF, Verdi, NV, wherever... all within riding range. From Truckee, take 89 north towards Sierraville, look for turn to Jackson Meadows (paved road). Turn left, the big asphalt parking lot is right there, unload.
To Bear Valley OHV: From Little Truckee Summit, ride straight across Hwy 89, onto Cottonwood Road (dirt), go about 5 miles to 4-way intersection. Hang right, official trail beginning is about 150 ft down road. Trails wander all over from there. Once you learn the system, no need to ride those 5 miles. Can cut in at various points along the way, but some of the trails are practically invisible from Cottonwood Road.
Video: Fresh Tracks
To Meadow Lake: From Little Truckee Summit, ride FS 05 (Treasure Mountain Road) that heads north out of the parking lot, up and over Treasure Mountain. Ends in T intersection on FS 15. Turn left, climb up to 4-way intersection with FS 12 at Bonta Saddle. Turn left, ride to paved FS 07 (the very same road that you parked next to). Solve "ethical dilemma", somehow, usually by turning left and blazing down about 200 feet of pavement (I have a magic and top-secret levitation device that I use ). Anyhoo... Turn right at Webber Lake. Ride that road by Webber Lake to intersection with Meadow Lake Road. Turn left, follow Meadow Lake Road to... Meadow Lake.
Video: Get Ready
FS 12 is an ATV "superhighway", gravel, 3 lanes wide. Back at Bonta Saddle, turning right instead of left takes you to Bassetts (town with gas and ice cream on Hwy 49), or on to Yuba Pass, and on from there to Gold Lake, Gold Valley, Plumas NF, around Quincy, Mt.Hough, Indian Valley, past Susanville, and on to Oregon (a few more ethical dilemmas in there here and there).
Lots and lots and lots and lots more, but I'm out of steam for now.