Lower Tollgate

Total Miles
4.2

Technical Rating

5

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Fall

Trail Type

Single Track

Accessible By

Trail Overview

The lower 4.3 miles of Tollgate are fun and technical. The east entrance starts off of Mount Hough Trail, and immediately crosses Tollgate Creek, which was shallow with a few embedded rocks. This was one of the only creeks with running water in the whole trail system in late summer as it is a really dry area. It goes through a similar terrain as Upper Tollgate for the first bit of the trail, with one big rock feature that is a moderate rock ledge with a loose pile of rocks on the approach. It starts to leave that rocky south-facing forest, and enters a north-facing forest that is drier and grassier, becoming a smoother and flowier trail on more exposed hillsides. It has some big banked corners and great down valley views. As it curves around the hillside before crossing Hough Road (25N14), there are a couple of bigger rock obstacles again from embedded rock, and some more significant shelf exposure that makes it more technical. It crosses Hough Road and has another little segment that is shelfy and narrow, before connecting to Mount Hough Trail on the south end. It loses 1,700 feet of elevation overall from east to west.

Photos of Lower Tollgate

Lower Tollgate
Lower Tollgate

Difficulty

This is a moderate route due to a couple big rock obstacles, significant exposure, and narrow segments of trail. This is more suited to riders with more experience.

Technical Rating

5

Status Reports

There are no status reports yet for this trail.

Lower Tollgate can be accessed by the following ride types:

  • Dirt Bike

Access Description

The Mount Hough trail system near Quincy, California, is extensive and popular for both dirt bikers and mountain bikers. Take Mount Hough Road (403) north of Quincy into the Plumas National Forest. There are several dispersed campsites and pulloffs along Road 403, and a couple of official staging areas. The Four Corners Trailhead has a picnic table and MX track, and space for several vehicles. The Mount Hough Trailhead has a large dirt lot with a pit toilet, and there is an additional small parking lot at the start of the Mount Hough trail below the fire tower. The trails are open year-round, but mostly rideable May through October, but best in spring and fall.

Lower Tollgate Map

Popular Trails

The onX Offroad Difference

onX Offroad combines trail photos, descriptions, difficulty ratings, width restrictions, seasonality, and more in a user-friendly interface. Available on all devices, with offline access and full compatibility with CarPlay and Android Auto. Discover what you’re missing today!