At the far west end of the Rubicon Trail in the Eldorado National Forest, Wentworth Springs is the original start of the Rubicon Trail. Now typically bypassed by most entering the Rubicon at Loon Lake, this section of the trail is well worth the time to run it. A couple of notable obstacles, a killer campground at the beginning and some views of the Granite Bowl that you don't get anywhere else make Wentworth Springs a must for any wheeler ready for the Rubicon Trail.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Easily identify whether the trail is stock friendly
or not.
View 14 specific concerns along the trail such as
height and width restrictions.
Upgrade from free to our All-Access Membership and get
every detail, waypoint, photo, and more on every single
trail guide.
When you are an All-Access member, our trail guides
come with a short video of the author running the trail
to give you a visual understanding of what to expect.
Head east on US-50 for 5.3 miles to Ice House Road.
Turn left/north on Ice House Road and follow Ice House Road for about 25 miles until it becomes Wentworth Springs Road. Continue straight on Wentworth Springs Road for 5.2 miles. Where the road "T"s, turn right to continue on Wentworth Springs for another 3.8 miles to reach the Trailhead.
Allthough the campground is closed due to Eldorado National Forest closure this fall (2021) the old part of the rubicon trail is open!
This is my favorite access to the rubicon! Its the real trail from back in the day. You can tell its rough and has less traffic than the new gate keeper part! Fact is, this is the real gate keeper! If you can't make it up the steps in the mid section, turn around! Front locker is a must or you will be using your winch!
The Forest Service has temporary closed all of the National Forests in California. This closure will is from Aug. 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd807583.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2eyDN7YlRJw5YXdU-DXeiAFqtkKyxv8PbAJNpjbnihHwf2nfgoi_Qc6qY
Temporary closure through 11/30.
Heres a few more pictures of the signs at Waypoint 10. :)
View More Images
From the Community
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Ask the author of a trail guide any questions you may have and
get a direct answer from the author and the community! One of
the many perks that come with an All-Access Membership.
G. Martin, gm4x4 on Youtube , is a California native, born and raised in northern California and now living and wheeling in southern California. He enjoys exploring new trails and setting up camp in the remote outdoors.
You may come across him in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the mountains of Big Bear, in the central Sierras near Shaver Lake or any other dirty, rocky road in the southwest.
By clicking "ACCEPT", you agree to be the terms and conditions of each
policy linked to above. You also agree to the storing of cookies on
your device to facilitate the operation and functionality of our site,
enhance and customize your user experience, and to analyze how our
site is used.