10.5 miles from Auburn Courthouse. Easy-steep 5 miles.
This trail is the counterpart to the Boole Road trail on the opposite side of the canyon; they both access the same part of the North Fork American river just above the upstream end of Lake Clementine. The trail starts out easy, then gets steeper, and finally drops insanely steep at its end near the river. Pretty much an out and back affair, it offers the usual grand views we’re used to expecting on these canyon walks. If you’re willing to do a shuttle and wade the river, you could hike in on the Fuel Break trail and out the Boole road trail or vice versa. Dan Dowell of North Sacramento tells me that he has hiked every trail in the ASRA and this is his current favorite. Go Dan!
Directions: From the Courthouse get on I-80 east for 3 miles and take the Auburn Ravine exit towards Foresthill for 7.6 miles to Drivers Flat road. Park across from Drivers Flat road on the Clementine side of the road.
The trail starts behind the gate as a dirt road. The road is one of the many fuel break efforts in the Auburn State Recreation Area that offer thin hope really of ever stopping any fire, but it gives people something to do grading and maintaining the road and at least gives fire-fighters access to make a stand against that wild-land fire we all hope will never happen.
Dan reports that you can see the Fuel Break trail from the Boole side of the canyon but you can’t see the Boole side from the Fuel Break trail. So if your wish is to sneak into the canyon unseen—use the Boole.
Get Off Your Gass 