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Indian Springs

Friday, April 5, 2024

Trail Map

Other Names

Soda Springs, Grouse Lake Area, Eagle Lakes Road, Tahoe National Forest, South Yuba River, Caryle Road, Grouse Ridge Trail, Lake Spaulding, Brady Mountain, Fordyce Lake, Four Dice, Signal Peak, Nevada City Ranger District, Pierce OHV Trail, Fordyce Trail, Indian Springs Campground

Last Known Status

Open

This area is actually more of a 4x4 trail, but it will test your rock climbing skills if you decide to tackle it on your motorcycle. There are plenty of private, primitive campsites right on the river if you bear left at each opportunity. The camping and scenery is also beautiful in the upper elevations (bear right at all opportunities), but the higher you go, the rockier it gets, so expect to be challenged.

The main staging area is open for day use only but dispersed camping is permitted throughout the forest. Indian Springs Campground is about .5 miles away from the staging area but non-steet legal machines must be hauled to and from the campground since there is no direct trail access.

Please note that the OHV trails in this area are closed to motorized use from January 1 through March 31 except the Fordyce Jeep Trail, which is open if there is 15” of snow on the ground. For current trail conditions contact the Tahoe National Forest.

Trail Map... Nearby ATV Trails...

REGULATIONS

Permit Required	Yes	CA OHMVR stickers required
Dates Open	April 1 - December 31	CA OHMVR red sticker vehicles permitted year round
Other ATV Stickers Accepted	Yes	Residents of any state not listed must purchase a Nonresident OHV Use Permit. (AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, IA, ID, IN, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY)
Spark Arrestor	Yes	A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles.
Noise Limit	Yes (96 dB)	CA OHMVR noise limits apply (1985/older limit 101 dB, 1986/newer limit 96 dB)
Whip Flags	Not Required
Maximum Vehicle Width	No Restriction
Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes	Permitted	CA OHMVR stickers required
ATVs	Permitted	CA OHMVR stickers required
UTV & SXS	Permitted	CA OHMVR stickers required
SUVs & Jeeps (registered)	Permitted
Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered)	Permitted	CA OHMVR stickers required
2 Stroke Engines	Certain Times	CA OHMVR restrictions apply
MX Helmet Required	Yes	helmets required by state law
Camping	Some Areas	(camp in developed sites only)
Campfires	Some Areas	(permitted in developed campsites only)
Night Riding	Yes	Not Recommended
Trail Blazing	Prohibited	stay on trails
Alcohol	No Restriction
Rule Enforcement	None

TERRAIN

Approx Size	5,120 acres (8 sq mi)
Miles Of Trail	15
Climate Type	Forest
Elevation	5400 to 7750 ft.
Trail Maintenance	Not Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained
Loose Dirt	Some
Hard Pack	Mostly
Sand	Little
Mud	Little
Dust	Some
Rocks	Mostly
Trees	All
Steep Hills	Some
Water Crossings	Few
Small Jumps	None
Large Jumps	None
Berms	Few
Sand/Gravel Pits	None
Single Track	None
Roads	Mostly
Intersections	Some
Rider Traffic	Few
Shade	All
Ranges/Gunfire	Few
Hazards	Few	(hazards not marked) upper elevations have very rocky hill climbs
Novice	Mostly
Amateur	Some
Expert	Little
Comment	Upper elevations are very rocky, recommended for experts only.

TYPE OF AREA

Area	Motorized Trails

Land	National Forest

GPS POINTS

KEY SERVICES

Gasoline	5-20 Miles (E)	76 (530) 426-9041
Diesel	5-20 Miles (E)	76 (530) 426-9041
Water	5-20 Miles (E)	Soda Springs
RV Hookup	1-5 Miles (S)	Thousand Trails-Snowflower Preserve (530) 389-8241
RV Disposal	1-5 Miles (S)	Thousand Trails-Snowflower Preserve (530) 389-8241
Campground	1-5 Miles (S)	Thousand Trails-Snowflower Preserve (530) 389-8241
Conv Store	5-20 Miles (W)	Harmony Ridge Market (530) 265-5761

FEES & PASSES

Parking	(None)
Entry	(None)
Riding	(None)
Camping	Yes Tent: $24.00 RV: $24.00 Addtl. Vehicle: $5.00 Indian Springs Campground Fee

RATINGS

Pros	nice secluded campgrounds, mostly easy trails, very scenic, a lot of roads
Cons	no motorcycle or single trails, upper elevation trails are very rocky and challenging
Our Rating	Very Good
Recommended Stay	1-2 Days Summer/Fall
Comments	(Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Nearest City

Soda Springs, CA

Address

Eagle Lakes Road, Nevada City, CA 95959

Trail Map

From: Reno, NV
1) Take I-80 West to Exit 164/Eagle Lakes Road
2) Turn right (north) off the exit ramp onto Eagle Lakes Road,continue about 3/4 mile
3) Veer right at the fork, staging area is straight ahead.