Trail Overview
Strawberry Pass is a classic northern California 4WD trail that traverses between highways 50 and 88. This trail can be combined with other local Sierra trails to provide multi-day backcountry wheeling/camping options. Other local trails include Deer Valley, Hungalelti, Long Canyon, and Barrett Lake. The summit of the trail provides spectacular views of Caples Lake and Kirkwood ski area, with the Mokelumne Wilderness as a backdrop. The scenery at the top is breathtaking. Historically, this trail has waffled between easy and moderate. After the Caldor fire of 2021, the trail was graded and became simple to drive. Since then, 3 heavy winters have changed the trail back to moderate. There are a large number of washouts, and during spring runoff, portions of the trail are an active stream. Approximately halfway up the trail, there is a long washout section that is challenging to navigate and can cause a rollover if the wrong line is taken. There is an illegal bypass that has been built around this section, but where's the fun in that? The overall trail rating is based upon this section. New four-wheel drivers or those with less built rigs and ground clearance will find this and a couple of other sections of this trail difficult. At least 33-inch tires and moderate ground clearance, with ideally a rear locker, will be helpful to tackle this trail. In general, full-sized rigs will do fine on this trail, but towing a trailer carries inherent risk due to the numerous washouts. A fair portion of this trail was affected by the Caldor fire, so there are numerous burned trees and deadfall, and this area should be avoided during high wind events. Carrying a chainsaw is also recommended.
Difficulty
Numerous washouts, some steep sections, small to moderate boulders to climb, and many downed trees to deal with. A chainsaw and winch can come in very handy. This trail is more difficult than in the past, so care is warranted.
