There is nothing like the feeling of a little wind in your face if you’re breaking through fresh powder on the top of a mountain somewhere, behind 700 cc of raw, untamed power. For some, that is exactly why they live where they live and do what they do. For many, a trailer is not even needed as alleys and access ways surround many of the rural communities in Lassen, Plumas and Sierra counties.
As soon as the snow begins piling up, the sleds are warming up. When kids are tucked in and most folks are settled in by a warm fire, you can hear the adventurous few heading out late-night after a good day’s storm. Enthusiasts stop at nothing to get out and enjoy their sport and go out of their way to help others do the same. Snowmobile clubs across the Sierra Cascade region offer all kinds of fun from poker runs to the incredible warming hut in the middle of the woods built and maintained by the Butte Hillsliders Snowmobile Club for all snowmobile enthusiasts. The Butte County Hillsliders club also helps keep the trails groomed for snowmobilers on a giant snow cat, a pretty wild ride in itself.
There are literally thousands of miles of trails across the mountains of northeastern California to the Sierra Nevada, where the US Forest Service manages trails and even grooms many trails for recreational use. Local snowmobile shops can key you in on the perfect machines to handle your riding preferences and the local terrain as well as point you in the direction of the trails. A stop into a local US Forest Service Ranger Station or a trip to their website will offer maps and information on dozens of trails.
US FOREST SERVICE RANGER STATIONS offer maps & information about using our national forest lands and include hiking, biking, skiing and snowmobile trails:
Mount Hough Ranger Station, 39696 State Highway 70, Quincy, CA • 530-283-0555
Supervisor’s Office, 159 Lawrence St. Quincy, CA • 530-283-0555
Beckwourth Ranger District, Mohawk Rd., Blairsden, CA • 530-836-2575
Almanor Ranger District, Highway 36, Chester, CA • 530-258-2141
Eagle Lake Ranger District • 530-257-4188
Hat Creek Ranger District • 530-336-5521
Snowshoe Walks are offered free and include the use of snowshoes in some areas by the US Forest Service. For upcoming dates and information, contact a local ranger station (above).
Snowmobile Trails
Winter is a beautiful time to explore the Plumas National Forest. Miles of roads and trails offer excellent opportunities for fun and enjoyment of the forest.
One hundred miles of groomed snowmobile routes are maintained throughout the winter season. Grooming efforts are sponsored through California State Off-Highway Vehicle funds. These trails are maintained for snowmobile use only. ATV’s and all other wheeled vehicles are prohibited on groomed snowmobile routes. The Bucks Lake Snowdrifters Club and the Forest Service work together to provide the grooming service.
