Trail Overview
This 3-mile out-and-back trail starts and ends on Pit Goose Valley, climbing over 730 feet in a short distance within the Lassen National Forest. The route travels through a landscape surrounded by lots of ponderosa pine trees, creating a classic forest driving experience throughout the climb. The trail surface consists of hard-packed dirt with some small gravel and rocks, and the route maintains a width of one vehicle throughout. Drivers will encounter ruts, off-camber sections, and tight passages, all remaining under 12 inches, requiring careful attention to line selection and vehicle positioning given the narrow corridor. Some overgrown manzanita trees along the route will give vehicles pinstripes, and overgrown vegetation in the median adds additional contact points throughout the drive. The trail runs along a shelf road at times, adding mild exposure to the technical climbing sections. Wildlife viewing opportunities exist along the route, so visitors should be on the lookout for whitetail deer and black bears in this forested environment. The trail eventually ends due to overgrown vegetation that becomes impassable, marking a natural conclusion to this out-and-back route.
Difficulty
The primary challenges include managing the steep short climb, navigating tight trees, ruts, and off-camber sections safely, accepting vegetation contact from overgrown manzanita, and handling the shelf road exposure combined with the narrow trail width.
