Sierra Nevada Adventures Multi Day Rides

CALIFORNIA BDR RALLY (Northern Sierra) 3-Days

California BDR Rally (Northern Sierra) 3-day ADVENTURE ride EXPLORES the Northern California Backcountry Discovery Route (CABDR-North) sections 1 through 4 between Mammoth Lakes CA and Truckee CA. just north of beautiful Lake Tahoe. SNA has further improved this route to include additional amazing OFF-ROAD adventure routes and historical points of interest along this amazing Backcountry Discovery Route.

California BDR Rally (Northern Sierra) 3-day ride is a 500-mile, off-pavement route designed for adventure motorcycles. Starting in Mammoth Lakes CA atop Minaret Vista, you will traverse the Sierra Nevada Range, alpine peaks, mountain meadows, conifer forests, deep river canyons, and high desert mountains, concluding in the mountain town of Truckee CA just north of beautiful Lake Tahoe.

CABDR Rally (Northern Sierra) 3-day ride is a guided adventure ride with the perfect mix of on-road and off-road adventure. You will have the luxury of exploring this rugged and remote backcountry with an experienced adventure guide known as SNA Mark, the trail scout, guide, and owner of Sierra Nevada Adventures. SNA Mark has spent a lifetime exploring every nook and cranny of this amazing backcountry region now known as the Northern California Backcountry Discovery Route (CABDR-North). You will have the opportunity to explore off-road wagon routes to visit historical mining sites including an off-road wagon route back in time to experience California's most rugged and remote ghost town from the Wild West. You will explore off-road two-track routes through high desert mountains, and rugged and remote river canyons, ascend mountain peaks to fire lookouts with amazing panoramic views in all directions including amazing geological sites and history from the California Gold Rush,  

SNA Mark's lifetime experience exploring the Sierra Nevada backcountry spans the spectrum from the foothills to the deepest river canyons to the summit of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada range including a lifetime of researching and studying the amazing history of this region from Native Americans, frontiersmen, mountain men, pioneers, and prospectors from the California Gold Rush. SNA Mark has successfully guided thousands of adventure riders throughout the Sierra Nevada and beyond to the remote corners of California and several western US states since the creation of Sierra Nevada Adventures in 2007. SNA Mark's lifetime experience of exploring and wealth of historical knowledge along with his love for the mountains adds the next level of experience to ensure you have an epic adventure on the SNA BDR Rally (Northern Sierra) 3-day ride.

Your adventure begins in the world-class ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes CA, from this point, your journey travels to the Minaret Vista at (9,625 ft. elev.) which provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Ritter Range and jagged Minarets. This amazing view of the Sierra Nevada is the perfect way to jump-start an epic adventure! From the Minaret Vista, your adventure ride explores an amazing on-road and off-road route through a fascinating landscape sculpted by fire and ice, where geothermal hot springs bubble up through the landscape, where unique Tufa rock formations rise above an ancient alkaline lake, where 14,000-foot peaks descend from blue skies to sage-filled plains including a unique volcanic chain of craters, domes, and lava flows. While traveling in this volcanic landscape you will experience a unique SNA off-road route to a mountain summit which provides an amazing panoramic view of the ancient Long Valley caldera. The Long Valley caldera was formed roughly 760,000 years ago when an exceptionally large eruption occurred. This large eruption is considered a "super-eruption", which released hot ash and later cooled to form a volcanic tuff that covers the landscape between the Eastern Sierra and the White Mountain range that rises over 14,000 ft. elevation. From this mountain summit, your adventure continues the CABDR to explore an off-road route in the massive Mono Lake Basin where you will have the opportunity to visit the unusual rock formations that grace Mono Lake's shores. These strange and dramatic rock towers known as Tufa Towers form in the lake when underwater springs bubble up through the saltwater and mix with rich calcium minerals in Mono Lake. The resulting reaction forms the strange limestone Tufa Towers. Over time when the water level of the lake dropped the Tufa Towers became exposed to the elements that have helped shape the Tufa rock into the strange formations we see today.

Beyond Mono Lake, your off-road adventure explores a historical dirt wagon route back in time to experience California's most rugged and remote gold and silver mining town from the wild west known as Bodie. This unique ghost town is the best-preserved genuine ghost town frozen in time from the Wild West at an elevation above 8,000 feet in the high plains desert east of the Sierra Nevada and north of the vast Mono Lake Basin. During its heyday, Bodie was second to none for wickedness, badmen, and "the worst climate out of doors." One little girl, whose family was taking her to the remote and infamous town, wrote in her diary: "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie." The phrase came to be known throughout the West. After you visit Bodie, your off-road adventure travels north on a historic wagon route through the Bodie Mountains which provides an incredible panoramic view of the jagged Sawtooth Range in the Sierra Nevada. This incredible view rises above the lush green Bridgeport Valley to its highest granite spire known as California's Matterhorn Peak at 12,285 ft. above sea level.

Beyond the Bodie Mountains, your off-road adventure continues as you explore a historic wagon route high above the Walker River Canyon and beyond to a vast valley located between high mountains. Before long, your journey climbs a twisty route into the mountains which offers some of the best motorcycle riding in the Sierra Nevada range, with breathtaking scenery. Near the summit of this twisty route, you will experience a unique SNA off-road route to a mountain high above the vast valley where you will be rewarded with a full 360-degree panoramic of endless mountains in all directions. After a short visit atop this mountain summit, your unique SNA off-road route continues through a remote section of the mountains and past a massive mining site and beyond for your first night stay at the Topaz Lodge for dinner and drinks and your first night’s stay.

Day 2 of your adventure continues the CABDR and up and over an amazing twisty curvy mountain pass that was first explored by the legendary Jedediah Strong Smith in 1827. Beyond the summit of the twisty curvy mountain pass your unique SNA off-road route ventures into the mountains to visit a pristine alpine lake nestled between incredible snow-capped mountain peaks in all directions. Beyond the alpine lake, your adventure continues the CABDR where you will explore a remote off-road route through conifer forests, including a deep river canyon on the edge of the majestic Mokelumne wilderness. From the river crossing your adventure climbs several thousand feet to a mountain lake surrounded by granite slabs and boulders left behind from an ancient glacier that once carved out this lake basin. Beyond the mountain lake your off-road route ventures into the Cosumnes River headwaters on a historic wagon route once traveled by pioneers and prospectors in search of gold during the California Gold Rush. Beyond the Middle Fork of Cosumnes River your unique SNA off-road route veers away from the CABDR to explore an off-road route to a fire lookout high above the North Fork Cosumnes River to take in a spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada above the historic Carson Pass region.

Beyond the fire lookout, your adventure descends through conifer forests on a remote route along a scenic cascading steam to the South Fork American River Canyon and beyond to the small mountain town of Pollock Pines for dinner and drinks and your second night’s stay.

Day 3 of your adventure explores the scenic Crystal Basin, and three forks of American River Canyons including the rugged and remote Rubicon River Canyon, From the South American River Canyon your off-road adventure explores up and out of the canyon and into the scenic Crystal Basin on the western side of Sierra Nevada just west of Lake Tahoe. Once into the heart of the Crystal Basin, your unique SNA off-road route ventures to a fire lookout that provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Crystal Basin Range. After visiting the fire lookout your adventure continues the CABDR into the rugged and remote Rubicon River Canyon on a remote off-road route to Hell Hole and beyond then up and over a forest-covered ridge to French Meadows which is located at the Middle Fork American River. Beyond French Meadows, your adventure explores a remote off-road wagon route secluded in the picturesque pines on the divide between the Middle Fork and North Fork American River Canyons. This historic wagon route was once an alternate route for pioneers and prospectors traveling over the historic Donner Pass on their way to the gold fields in the Sierra Nevada foothills. After climbing this wagon route to the top of the ridge on the divide you will have an awe-inspiring view of the Royal Gorge and Snow Mountain located on the North Fork American River Canyon. If the winter snowpack provides enough runoff, you will be rewarded with a rare sight of East Snow Mountain Falls which is a seasonal cascading waterfall that plunges deep into the Royal Gorge. In fact, East Snow Mountain Falls at 2,200 feet is the second tallest measured waterfall in California after Yosemite Falls.

Beyond the divide, your adventure continues the CABDR to a small bridge crossing at the North Fork American River then a short distance beyond the bridge your adventure travels past a small cluster of mountain cabins that date to the turn of the century. From this point your off-road adventure splashes across Cedar Creek and climbs up and out of the canyon to Serene Lake and beyond to Donner Summit, home of the abandoned Donner Train Tunnels. These abandoned tunnels are what is left from a bygone era of the first Transcontinental Railroad. From 1865 to 1869, Chinese railroad workers built the Transcontinental Railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Approximately 12,000-20,000 Chinese railroad men making up to 90 percent of the Central Pacific Railroad workforce risked life and limb to cut and build railroad beds and dig tunnels in the most difficult and perilous terrain and weather of the entire Transcontinental Railroad project. The accomplishments of the Chinese railroad workers were a key contribution to the rapid economic development of the American West and the entire American economy.

Beyond the abandoned tunnels, the last section of your amazing adventure descends the Old Highway 40 route to Donner Lake in Truckee CA. Donner Lake is the historic site of the ill-fated Donner Party that was trapped by exceptionally heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, and, when food ran out members of the group resorted to cannibalism of those already dead to survive. It was the worst disaster of the overland migration to California. Donner Lake and Donner Pass, California, are named after the ill-fated party.