4 Wheeling on the Rubicon Trail

“. . . just about the best little reference work on any trail we’ve seen . . .” – Four Wheeler Magazine

The 4 Wheeler’s Guide to the Rubicon Trail provides, in one compact package, just about everything you need to know to make your trip safe, fun, and memorable. Sections include:

History of the Rubicon Trail

This section of the guide describes the geology of the trail and presents a brief history of its use, from the time of the Maidu Indians up to its present-day use by four-wheelers from around the world. Here are some excerpts from the guide:

Geological Features. The Rubicon Trail takes you through a full range of geological features. The area around Georgetown is made up of very old metamorphosed (changed) sedimentary rock in the form of metasandstone, quartzite, slate, limestone and schist. As you move east on Wentworth Springs Road, you cross the Melones Fault Zone. This fault zone is located about 1½ miles east of Georgetown near Hanson Hollow Road.

Native American Use. The Rubicon Trail has been in existence for thousands of years. Native Americans used it as an east-west trade route from the foothills of Central California to Lake Tahoe and other points east.

The Gold Rush. In 1848, gold was discovered in Coloma, about 10 miles southwest of Georgetown. This discovery brought thousands of outsiders to the area, forever changing it. The influx of over 100,000 gold prospectors was devastating to the Native Americans. Diseases like tuberculosis, to which the natives had no resistance, took a terrible toll, and the prospectors and settlers sometimes killed and often displaced the Indians from their territory.

Topographic Map

Jeepers Jamboree. In 1952, several residents of Georgetown held a meeting to discuss the possibility of an organized jeep tour from Georgetown to Lake Tahoe, via the Rubicon Trail. On August 29, 1953, 55 jeeps with 155 enthusiastic participants left Georgetown on a two-day trip that is now known as Jeepers Jamboree 1. The last weekend of July each year, four-wheelers follow the tradition of these “pioneers.”

Trip Logistics

The Rubicon Trail is not the place to be when you remember you forgot a very important item. The guide features check lists to help you plan for and carry the important things you will need.

The most important items:

  • A four-wheel drive rig that is equipped to handle the challenges of the Rubicon Trail
  • A group of other four-wheelers who will travel with you
  • A copy of the 4 Wheeler’s Guide to the Rubicon Trail

Trail Notes and Topographic Maps

The guide contains detailed, annotated color topographic maps from USGS 7½′ quadrangle topographic maps, aerial photos (some in 3-D), color pictures (some also in 3-D), and detailed information describing over 40 sites along the way.

Trail Etiquette and Safety

When driving the Rubicon Trail, special rules of the road should be followed. You will be traveling through one of the most magnificent areas in California. You are expected to leave only footprints or tire tracks. You will also be using a trail that in some places isn’t even wide enough for your vehicle, let alone two vehicles.

There are five basic principles in the Tread Lightly! Program Pledge:

  • Travel only where permitted
  • Respect the rights of others
  • Educate yourself
  • Avoid streams, meadows, wildlife areas, etc.
  • Drive and travel responsibly

Forest Service Rules and Regulations

U.S. Forest Service Map

Most of the Rubicon Trail crosses land managed or protected by the USDA Forest Service. In an effort to preserve and protect the land under their jurisdiction, they have established rules for those who use the land. Specific Forest Service holdings can be found in the General Maps section of the guide. The federally owned lands are tinted green on the General Maps.

If you follow the guidelines presented in the Trail Etiquette and Safety section of the guide, you will comply with most of the general rules estabished by the forest Service. There are other rules you must comply with if you are going to have a campfire or enter the nearby Desolation Wilderness.

Updated July 16, 2009