Fordyce Lake OHV Route
With a little care and some skill, this OHV route into the forested and rocky basin holding Fordyce Lake is suitable for SUVs – AW or 4WD required.
Going down requires only high- clearance vehicles, but AW or 4WD will be needed to come back up the steep grade.
DESCRIPTION:
The reservoir is large and scenic – at least until drawdown occurs by mid-summer. Fishing can be good, especially in the spring. A floatable device for fishing is best. Due to the road access and the poor launching capability, small cartop carriers are the only suitable boats recommended.
Once the Fordyce Lake Road (FS #85.02) turns left (north) off the Rattlesnake Road (FS #85), the route is best traveled by high-clearance vehicles to navigate through the ruts and rocks. At about 0.8 mile the road forks with the right-hand road continuing to Sterling Lake where there is a rustic walk-in Forest Service campground. It’s a quiet setting – when the Boy Scout Camp across the smallish lake is not going full bore.
To get to Fordyce, continue left for about 0.2 mile until you reach the 7200’ Fordyce Summit. About 0.1 mile south of the summit a road takes off to the left (west) that climbs Signal Mountain, another easy OHV opportunity. The two destinations can be combined into one great outing.
From the summit, the Fordyce Road drops rather rapidly 2.5 miles down to the lake and then the dam. Going down requires only high-clearance vehicles, but AW or 4WD will be needed to come back up the steep grade. Wet weather should be avoided.
Once you reach the lake, the road levels out and it’s an easy drive along an arm of the lake to the dam. Before reaching the dam, you will pass some PG&E maintenance buildings as well as the intersection to the “Committee Trail.” This long ½-mile dive into Fordyce Creek is used to connect to the Fordyce Creek Trail during the annual Sierra Trek events hosted by the California Association of 4WD Clubs. The connecting trail is strictly for 4WD vehicles as there are two very steep spots plus a tricky and deep fording of Fordyce Creek.
DIRECTIONS:
To Fordyce Lake OHV Route
Exit I-80 at Cisco Grove, which is about 47 miles east of Auburn. Turn left onto the frontage road on the north side of I-80. Follow it west for less than a mile; turn right onto Rattlesnake Road FS #85 and follow the high-standard gravel road northeast for about 4.5 miles. Turn left (north) onto the Fordyce Lake Road and continue as discussed above. The OHV route does not begin until Fordyce Summit.
ACTIVITIES:
OHV - 4-Wheel Drives (Rating: Best)
The route is not challenging, but the scenery and fellowship with other OHV users can be great.
OHV - All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) (Rating: Good)
The OHV route does not begin until the top of Fordyce Summit. Pulling a trailer from Rattlesnake Road up the 400’ climb over a rocky and rutted road can be tricky and takes a good vehicle. ATVs carried in the back of a pick-up would be better.
The route from there to the lake is only moderately challenging.
OHV - Motorcycles (Rating: Good)
Any vehicle using the Rattlesnake Road or the Fordyce Lake road up to Fordyce Summit would have to be street-licensed.
The OHV route does not begin until the top of Fordyce Summit. Pulling a trailer from Rattlesnake Road up the 400’ climb over a rocky and rutted road can be tricky and takes a good vehicle. Motorcycles carried in the back of a pick-up would be better.
The route from there to the lake is easy.
