Gold Fever Trail Holcomb Valley Big Bear

I got a fever! And the only prescription… is winter wheeling the “Gold Fever Trail”!!!

The Gold Fever Trail is an 11 mile long relaxing excursion through the geography, beauty, and history of the Holcomb Valley. This trail highlights the wild west and the rich gold rush history of the 1860s. There are 12 historical markers on the trail that we will stop at to learn a brief history of each location.

Stops:
1- Holcomb View Trail
2- Last Chance Placer
3- Two Gun Bill’s Saloon
4- Jonathan Tibbetts’ Grasshopper Quartz Mill
5- Hangman’s Tree
6- Original Gold Diggings
7- Belleville
8- Arrastres Gold Mill Grinder
9- Ross’ Grave
10- Pygmy Cabin Site
11- Metzger Mine
12- Gold Mountain ”Lucky Baldwin” Mine.

We will meetup at the Big Bear Discovery Center, Parking lot, 40971 North Shore Dr (Hwy. 38) Fawnskin, California 92333. Look for my blue JKU Jeep Wrangler.

Meetup: 9:30 AM. Air down tires, last minute instructions/questions.
We will depart promptly at 10:00 AM. Please be on time.

We will have lunch around noon at any convenient location with sufficient parking. Pack some comfort food and bring some hot cocoa or coffee. Add in a camp chair to relax and enjoy the wilderness and group conversation during lunch.

Check the weather before going, and dress appropriately.
Bring footware suitable for some short walks through the snow or muddy ground. I recommend bringing a change of shoes, socks, & pants. Toss a sleeping bag or warm blankets, extra food or snacks, and water in the back of your rig in case we get delayed.

Always bring extra water on all outings.

It is always advised, on any outing, to bring some basic recovery gear (recovery strap, shackles as needed to attach to your specific rig, and a shovel. Recovery boards are always a nice addition.)

For trail comms, we will be using GMRS radios. Primary: CH 18 (462.6250 Mhz). Backup: CH 20 (462.6750 Mhz).

During the summer, the trail is mostly a typical easy forest service road. The last 2-3 miles are quite bumpy, but not technical.

In winter it is mostly easy. If there is snow, 4x4 or AWD, and suitable tires are needed. If you have snow chains or cable chains, bring them. I have never needed to chain up here, but it is comforting to have them available. There are no areas that I would consider unsafe. But, there is one long modest incline that may involve a bit of tire slipping if there is snow. There can/will be pools of water in the road. Most are shallow and easy, with a couple that are deeper.

In summer, it is a leisurely 3 hour excursion. In snow, and depending on group size, I would estimate 4-5 hours.

Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to arrive safely and on time.

We will be monitoring the weather as the date gets closer. If conditions are deemed not safe, the date may be changed or cancelled.

Your RSVP will be for your rig, not for # of people. Whether there is 1 person or 10 in your rig, please just 1 RSVP.

By attending, you are agreeing to accept full liability for your own safety.

TR