369 mi · 16,400 ft of climbing · high point 6,555 ft · start/finish downtown Napa (First St & Main St)
Ridden Oct 5, 2026 · High Sierra
The ride
This one starts the way a lot of our Sierra days do: Jameson Canyon out of Napa, then I-80 across the Yolo Causeway and up through Sacramento, Roseville and Loomis to Auburn. It's freeway, and we won't pretend otherwise, but it's the fastest way to get to the good stuff with fresh tires and a full tank.
At Auburn you peel off onto Foresthill Road, and from Foresthill the day changes. Mosquito Ridge Road runs out the ridge above the Middle Fork of the American River past Greekstore, a long, narrow, curvy ribbon that keeps going farther than you think it will, up toward French Meadows. Hell Hole Road takes you deeper into the Placer County backcountry, then Eleven Pines Road crosses into El Dorado County and drops you onto Ice House Road. That stretch is where the route tops out at 6,555 ft, and it's about as remote as paved riding gets this close to home.
Wentworth Springs Road brings you back west past Quintette and Balderson Station to Georgetown Road, then it's down to Placerville and Highway 50, through Folsom and Sacramento, and back over I-80 and Jameson Canyon to Napa. All in it's about 369 mi with ~16,400 ft of climbing, and it's a full day, start early. Fuel up in Foresthill: from there to Georgetown it's backcountry with no towns to speak of, roughly 100 mi of mountain road. Mosquito Ridge, French Meadows, Hell Hole, Eleven Pines and the upper Ice House and Wentworth Springs roads are high country that can be snowed in, closed or under repair outside summer and fall, so check conditions with Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests before you go.
[Steve: add your full write-up here]
Key roads and highlights
Jameson Canyon Road (CA-12)
I-80 via Yolo Causeway, Sacramento, Roseville
Auburn
Foresthill Road to Foresthill
Mosquito Ridge Road, above the Middle Fork American River (Greekstore)
French Meadows area
Hell Hole Road
Eleven Pines Road (14N08), Placer to El Dorado County
Ice House Road, high point ~6,555 ft
Wentworth Springs Road past Quintette and Balderson Station
Georgetown Road
Placerville, US-50 home via Folsom and Sacramento
Gallery
Ride photos coming soon
Not starting in Napa? No problem. Every Two Wheel Touring GPX is a loop that begins and ends at First & Main in downtown Napa, but you don't have to. Join the line wherever it's closest to you, ride any section you like, or flip the whole thing and run it the other way. For step-by-step help in Garmin, REVER, Calimoto, Scenic, Google My Maps, and a free GPX editor, see Riding a route from your own start.
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