more stats
1.7 miles
Distance
321 ft
Climb
-336 ft
Descent
00:22:56
Avg time
-15 ft
Altitude change
3,224 ft
Altitude min
3,333 ft
Altitude max
3,310 ft
Altitude start
3,294 ft
Altitude end
-0.2%
Grade
-57.9%
Grade max
24.1%
Grade min
4,508 ft
Distance climb
3,566 ft
Distance down
755 ft
Distance flat
00:22:56
Avg time

Upper First Divide Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Dirtbike/Moto
  • Riding Area
    Downieville Trail Network
    Downieville, California
  • Ref Number
    #10E08
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 100 in E-Biking
    • 100 in Trail Running
    • 95 in Hiking
    • 95 in Dirtbiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #40723 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #5016 in E-Biking
    • #2781 in Trail Running
    • #22674 in Hiking
    • #2447 in Dirtbiking
    • #1348 in Horseback
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Spring, Summer, Fall
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 3
  • Land Owner
    USFS

Rolling, rocky, narrow trail with some cliff exposure.

Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 20 rides
  • 20 miles average
6 Months
  • 375 rides
  • 19 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,841 rides
  • Last: Sep 23, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Status:
on Sep 4, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 3.86 (22 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (12,220)
close
      Directions to upper-first-divide trailhead (39.597690, -120.797620)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      21 more »
      mtb
      134 |
      Oct 22, 2023 @ 10:17am
      Oct 22, 2023
      mtb
      126 |
      Oct 1, 2023 @ 1:37pm
      Oct 1, 2023
      mtb
      145 |
      Oct 1, 2023 @ 1:37pm
      Oct 1, 2023
      mtb
      129 |
      Oct 1, 2023 @ 1:37pm
      Oct 1, 2023

      Videos

      12 more »
      youtuber B1KER Camp 2018 - Downievile 1st Run -...
      mtb
      15:56 | 562 | Jul 11, 2018 , Downieville
      youtuber B1KER Camp 2018 - 2nd Run - Broken Frame? -...
      mtb
      16:12 | 537 | Jul 19, 2018 , Downieville
      youtuber B1KER Camp 2018 Jeopardy - Ramshorn Campground...
      mtb
      42:53 | 614 | Jul 27, 2018 , Downieville
      (Most of) the Downieville Downhill in 4K!
      mtb
      55:51 | 176 | Aug 19, 2025 , Downieville

      Routes with this trail

      120
      Downieville Downhill
      ★ 4.3 • 15 miles • 816 ft • 7 • Shuttled •
      This is the classic Downieville Downhill route. Shuttle up to the start at the Sunshine Trail. From there...
      144
      Downieville Tower to Town
      ★ 5.0 • 18 miles • 1,048 ft • 18 • Shuttled •
      While Tower-to-Town can describe any route between the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout Tower and the town of...
      929
      Gold Valley Rim-Pauley-2nd Divide Semi Epic
      ★ 5.0 • 20 miles • 1,836 ft • 11 • Shuttled •
      This is a pretty burly all-mountain/"down country" ride that incorporates the new (and beautiful) off of...
      3.8 ★★★★★
      22 Ratings
      5 ★ 23%
      4 ★ 50%
      3 ★ 14%
      2 ★ 14%
      1 ★

      4 Reviews & Comments

      savesthejade savesthejade
      A pretty flat/pedaly section of the downhill route. Must have been an old rail trail given the mellow grade. Some cliff/steep exposure at times but quite manageable.
      atfarley
      I never found the thousand feet of climbing.

      We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

      Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

      Create a Free Account

      Nearby Trails

      Downieville Trail Network

      • By FRguild & contributors
      • #7611 - 7,645 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Upper First Divide located?
      Upper First Divide is located in Downieville Trail Network, Downieville, California, United States. It is part of the Downieville Trail Network trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.59769, -120.79762.
      ▼ How hard is Upper First Divide?
      Upper First Divide is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 0.2%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Upper First Divide?
      Upper First Divide has 321 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 336 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,224 ft to 3,333 ft.
      ▼ Is Upper First Divide a point to point trail?
      Upper First Divide is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Upper First Divide?
      Upper First Divide is 1.7 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Upper First Divide?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Upper First Divide. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Upper First Divide?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Upper First Divide are:
      • August (219 activities)
      • July (187 activities)
      • June (181 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Upper First Divide? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Upper First Divide are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Upper First Divide?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 24 minutes to ride Upper First Divide. The trail is 1.7 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Upper First Divide?
      Upper First Divide is a very popular trail. There have been 12,446 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 12,220 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

      Hit the Trail

      Open in App

      Get this trail on your phone instantly.
      open trail in app

      Download Trail

      Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
      save the trail

      Find Related Routes

      Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
      find routes for this trail

      You must enter a description before submitting.