foresthill divide

You will love the drive along the divide in the high country. Views that seem to go forever. Springtime is the best to take hikes and look for wildflowers.

The Foresthill Divide is a geographic feature between the North and Middle Forks of the American River. It literally divides the river forks.Rural, forested, remote, a place for outdoor adventure. Foresthill Road which goes East from I80 in Auburn is the main access route. 17 miles east of Auburn is the small town of Foresthill with the only services on the Divide. Most of the Divide is within the Tahoe National Forest they have an office in Foresthill which s open during the week. There you can obtain brochures, information, & maps. There are a few main roads running mostly parallel to the river direction, essentially East to West. There's fishing in the rivers, unfortunately the roads are at the top of the ridge, and the rivers are in the valley between ridges.. Trails connect at various points, but the walk down requires a climb back up. Mosquito Ridge Road leaves Foresthill & goes East to French Meadows Reservoir then connects to Hell Hole Reservoir both of which have boat ramps. Sugar Pine Reservoir is up on the Divide closer to Foresthill. There are several campgrounds at the reservoirs and elsewhere on the Divide. Something worth seeking out is Placer Big Trees, or Placer Grove of Sierra Redwoods on some maps. About 28 miles from Foresthill on Mosquito Ridge Rd you'll see a marked turnoff. There's an approx. 1 mile loop trail down into the grove. You will see a grove of large Sequoia/Redwood trees preserved since the 1870's by some of our forefathers with the insight to keep these extremely large trees from becoming mine timbers.Speaking of history there are historic cemeteries in Foresthill, Todd Valley, and Michigan Bluff dating from the Gold Rush era.There are dirt roads branching from the main roads in many areas of the Divide, some will take you off the Divide and into other areas. You can connect to Soda Springs up on Donner Summit and into El Dorado National Forest & Highway 50 by dirt backroads. If you want to take on these routes make sure your vehicle is in good shape, you have a full tank of gas, and a good map. Some extra food & water wouldn't be a bad idea either. This is very remote country, tell someone where you're going, and be prepared.If you're an outdoor person with a sense of adventure you'll like this region. There's not a lot of development, but there is some very nice remote country to explore.

beautiful town and scenery. Foresthill Bridge a must see, you can drive old Foresthill rd to see under the bridge, tallest bridge in California