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2.2 miles
Distance
27 ft
Climb
-768 ft
Descent
00:17:21
Avg time
-742 ft
Altitude change
7,109 ft
Altitude min
7,860 ft
Altitude max
7,853 ft
Altitude start
7,110 ft
Altitude end
-6.4%
Grade
-27.6%
Grade max
8.1%
Grade min
1,037 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
302 ft
Distance flat
00:17:21
Avg time
Big Chief Trail (Upper) Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Horse
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaBig Chief
Truckee, California -
Ref Number#16E85
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Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlack Diamond (5 votes)
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Local Popularity95 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 95 in E-Biking
- 35 in Trail Running
- 50 in Hiking
- 5 in Horseback
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Global Ranking#19048 in Mountain Biking [+]
- #1966 in E-Biking
- #123837 in Trail Running
- #74464 in Hiking
- #840 in Horseback
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Hiking SAC ScaleT2 Mountain Hiking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeDH, AM
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DirectionDownhill PrimaryPopular Direction Shown
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Climb DifficultyDouble Black Diamond
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Physical RatingHard
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 1
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TTFs on TrailBerm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Rock Face, Rock Garden
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Land OwnerUSFS - Truckee Ranger District
Upper section of Big Chief Trail - if you enjoyed the features of the lower section but were hoping for a bit more momentum, you will love this section. The upper section is more difficult than the lower, with a handful of mandatory technical sections approaching double-black difficulty.
The Truckee Trails Foundation worked with the USFS and Northstar California on a 7-mile non-motorized trail connecting the southern tip of the Sawtooth Trail up to Watson Lake and the Tahoe Rim Trail. Construction was completed in fall of 2018. A huge thanks to the National Forest Foundation and REI for making this possible
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 6 rides
- 19 miles average
6 Months
- 14 rides
- 19 miles avg distance
All
- 617 rides
- Last: Jun 17, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Big Chief Trail... Trail Reports
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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
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- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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Directions to big-chief-trail-upper-150776 trailhead
(39.229500, -120.145840)
Photos
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Videos
15 more »
Routes with this trail
★ 4.0 • 15 miles • 1,946 ft • 2 • Loop •
Climb road drop trail. Mostly drop but definitely pedally and a little climbing on the "descent". Although...
28 miles • 3,648 ft • 17 • Loop •
Climb road drop trail. Mostly drop but definitely pedally and a little climbing on the "descent". Although...
21 Reviews & Comments
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Nearby Trails
- Watson Lake Trail 36 ft
- Watson Lake Trail Access Road 548 ft
- Big Chief/northstar Connector 1,663 ft
- Watson Lake Road (cg Access) 4,941 ft
- Watson Lake Road 4,941 ft
- By TheAngryTomato
TRAILFORKS & contributors - #150776 - 22,996 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Big Chief Trail (Upper)
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Where is Big Chief Trail (Upper) located?
Big Chief Trail (Upper) is located in Big Chief, Truckee, California, United States. It is part of the Big Chief trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.2295, -120.14584.
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How hard is Big Chief Trail (Upper)?
Big Chief Trail (Upper) is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 6.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Double Black Diamond.
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What is the elevation gain for Big Chief Trail (Upper)?
Big Chief Trail (Upper) has 27 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 768 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,109 ft to 7,860 ft.
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Is Big Chief Trail (Upper) a point to point trail?
Big Chief Trail (Upper) is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
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