Shasta-Trinity Backcountry Discovery Trail (Northern CA)

[OTG_one]

The California Backcountry Discovery Trail was a collaborative effort between the USFS and CA State OHV Parks to create a series of dedicated off road trails throughout the state, primarily on USFS managed lands. The Mendocino segment was the first to be established back in the 1990s, with other segments to follow in Six Rivers NF Cow Mountain (BLM), Modoc NF, Plumas NF, Lassen NF-- and rumor has it there were some BDTs in Socal at one time, including the Angeles NF (I've found it difficult to track down information for these). The California Backcountry Discovery Routes are primarily graded dirt forest roads, but some of the routes like Plumas do feature alternative routes for high clearance 4x4s. Up until last year, there was no way to connect the BDTs in the east (Plumas, Lassen, Modoc), with the Mendocino and Six Rivers BDTs in the states' western Coast Mountain Ranges.

Last year we set out with the goal of mapping the Shasta-Trinity BDT, which connects the Six Rivers BDT in the west with the Modoc BDT in the east. With the addition of the Tahoe BDT (mapped July 2020), it's now possible to connect the various BDTs for a 1,000+ mile overland adventure consisting of primarily dirt that travels through the Sierra, Cascades, Basin Ranges, and Coastal Mountains. What I love about the Shasta-T, is that it travels through so many different ecological zones. One travels through the rollings hills and interspersed grasslands and conifer forests of the coast range, through pine and douglas fir forests at higher elevation, serpentine swales filled with manzanitas, the dank and dark forests of Mt Shasta's southern slopes, and finally through the high desert on Mt Shasta's eastern flank.

OTG Presents the Making of the Shasta-Trinity BDT (video)

 

[Uniquely Us Adventures]

The California Backcountry Discovery Trail was a collaborative effort between the USFS and CA State OHV Parks to create a series of dedicated off road trails throughout the state, primarily on USFS managed lands. The Mendocino segment was the first to be established back in the 1990s, with other segments to follow in Six Rivers NF Cow Mountain (BLM), Modoc NF, Plumas NF, Lassen NF-- and rumor has it there were some BDTs in Socal at one time, including the Angeles NF (I've found it difficult to track down information for these). The California Backcountry Discovery Routes are primarily graded dirt forest roads, but some of the routes like Plumas do feature alternative routes for high clearance 4x4s. Up until last year, there was no way to connect the BDTs in the east (Plumas, Lassen, Modoc), with the Mendocino and Six Rivers BDTs in the states' western Coast Mountain Ranges.

Last year we set out with the goal of mapping the Shasta-Trinity BDT, which connects the Six Rivers BDT in the west with the Modoc BDT in the east. With the addition of the Tahoe BDT (mapped July 2020), it's now possible to connect the various BDTs for a 1,000+ mile overland adventure consisting of primarily dirt that travels through the Sierra, Cascades, Basin Ranges, and Coastal Mountains. What I love about the Shasta-T, is that it travels through so many different ecological zones. One travels through the rollings hills and interspersed grasslands and conifer forests of the coast range, through pine and douglas fir forests at higher elevation, serpentine swales filled with manzanitas, the dank and dark forests of Mt Shasta's southern slopes, and finally through the high desert on Mt Shasta's eastern flank.

OTG Presents the Making of the Shasta-Trinity BDT (video)

Would love to see more about this I can’t for the life of me find any maps or gpx files for the discovery route?

 

[travisn000]

Would love to see more about this I can’t for the life of me find any maps or gpx files for the discovery route?

The video description has a link with more info, including gpx, requires subscription though:

Shasta-Trinity Backcountry Discovery Trail

Many say the Pacific Northwest begins in the far northern reaches of California; a place that locals adoringly refer to as the State of Jefferson. Largely disconnected from the population centers to the south, it's a region filled with emerald forests, wild rivers and streams- where the granite...

www.overlandtrailguides.com