Sweepstakes Trail is a newer trail in the Weaverville Basin Trail network but it’s hard to get to. We got an early start one morning to mountain bike it. It was indeed hard and I probably won’t do it again.
This primarily downhill trail starts way up high in the mountains above Weaverville, CA and you either shuttle to it, or climb up a heinous dirt road they call Weaver Bally. We don’t have anyone to shuttle with so we opted to ride up the dirt road. Oof. The climb is basically 5 miles and 3100′. It’s brutal and I wish there was a better way up. The road is severely steep in spots and we actually hopped off and walked a couple pitches that were rutted and loose. The climb tops out at almost 5200′ where we turned on Sweepstakes Trail for an AWESOME descent.
Completed in 2023, Sweepstakes Trail has added a true big mountain trail to the Weaver Basin trail system. The trail swoops through old-growth trees and down beautifully cut switchbacks. The tread is pretty narrow and rocky in spots and it has a decidedly rugged feeling. The sidehill trail has steep drop-offs and I had to stop a lot to admire the view. The trail is 5 miles with 2000′ of descent and then we took Seavy Ditch Trail and Jackass Ridge another 1000′ down. Big smiles.
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