Chimney Rock to Junction City — Trinity Alps Backcountry High Road
Granite ridgelines, ghost mines, zero crowds.
Before the gold rush played out, the Trinity Alps were crawling with miners punching roads into granite ridges that most modern drivers have forgotten exist. This route climbs from Chimney Rock Road off Highway 299 near Douglas City, gains the ridge above the South Fork Trinity, and works northwest through old mining territory toward Junction City — passing the ruins of the La Grange Dredge tailings and dropping through Canyon Creek Road with views into the wilderness area that stop you cold. The road surface alternates between compacted gravel, embedded granite slabs, and loose shale sidehills where you earn every mile.
Expect genuine high-clearance work — a stock SUV with factory skids will get beat up, and an RTT rig with long overhangs will have a hard day on the switchbacks above the South Fork. Best run June through early October; snow lingers on the upper sections well into May. No permits required on the USFS sections, but some lower segments cross private mining claims — stay on the road. Fuel in Weaverville before you leave. Cell service is effectively zero. What you get out of it is one of the least-visited corridors in the California mountains, with dispersed camping on national forest land and zero crowds.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, High Clearance |
| Surface | Gravel, Mixed, Rock |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 34 mi / 54.7 km |
| Duration | 1-2 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 5600 ft |
| Best season | June-October |
| Minimum vehicle | Stock 4WD high-clearance |
| Nearest town | Weaverville, CA |
| Land manager | Shasta-Trinity National Forest |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | fs.usda.gov |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
No recent condition reports. Be the first to post one.
Log in to post a condition report.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stock 4Runner or Tacoma handle this trail, or does it need a lift?
A stock 4WD high-clearance rig can complete it, but you'll earn every mile — rocky shelf roads and loose gravel sections will drag bottom on anything low-slung. A lift and all-terrain tires give you real margin; a bone-stock crossover SUV has no business here.
When does the trail actually open after winter, and can snow linger past June?
Best season is June through October, but at 5,600 ft max elevation, snow can block the upper sections into late June in heavy snowpack years. Check with Shasta-Trinity National Forest before your trip if you're running it before July.
Do I need a permit or is there a fee to run this trail?
No permit required and no day-use fee for driving the trail through Shasta-Trinity National Forest. If you're camping, a free campfire permit is required when campfire restrictions aren't already in effect — get one at fs.usda.gov before you go.
What's the hardest section and what should I actually be ready for?
The exposed shelf road segments above the Trinity River canyon are where it gets real — narrow, loose rock, with limited turnout options and serious drop-offs. Expect slow going, and if you meet oncoming traffic, one of you is backing up a long way.
There's zero cell service — how far is the nearest gas from the trailhead, and is there water on the trail?
Fuel up in Weaverville before you leave; it's your last reliable gas stop and sits roughly 20 miles from the Chimney Rock trailhead. Water crossings exist on the route but treat anything you pull from them — carry at minimum a filter and enough reserve to get back to town without resupply.
Trail track
No GPX track for this trail yet. If you've driven it and have a track, contribute below.
Log in to contribute a GPX track.