The Rubicon Trail is located near Lake Tahoe in California. It has earned its famed reputation from the incredible beauty of the Sierra Nevada granite slabs and intense continuous obstacles. Most trails are rated in comparison to this trail and for good reason!

There are a few things you should know before attempting:

Number One: It is DIFFICULT. Don’t take this trail lightly. Make sure your vehicle is well equipped and ALL weak points are upgraded. It will challenge both the vehicle and driver to the MAX. There are bypasses for certain obstacles but the easiest route is not easy.

Number Two: It is REMOTE. There is only one ridge near the entrance where you “might” get spotty cell service. Otherwise, you’ll be completely off grid. It’s a long ways in and out for recovery or supplies. Caution should be exercised.

Number Three: It is LONG. Most people take 2-3 days for driving the trail. It is possible to drive the entire trail in a day… depending on traffic. Avoid weekends. Check the Rubicon events calendar to avoid BIG GROUPS where hundreds of people are traveling the trail. You’ll need to ensure you pack proper supplies for the trip duration.

We camped on Loon Lake and spent one day driving to Wentworth Campground then back to Loon Lake. The Wentworth route is the “original” Rubicon Trail entrance. It is less traveled and arguably the more difficult route into the trail. We took all day driving from Loon Lake to Rubicon Springs. This is a long day! Especially when incorporating the optional routes: Little Sluice, Old Sluice and Soup Bowl. Many people will camp at Buck Island just before the intimidating Big Sluice leading down into Rubicon Springs. We didn’t drive the final exist climb up Cadillac Hill to the Lake Tahoe trail head due to the planned Toyota event.

This was our first experience driving the trail in both directions. One downside of owning a Side by Side is the requirement to trailer it. Every trail becomes an “out and back”. However, the Yamaha Wolverine RMAX can travel quickly on rough terrain!

Please enjoy these trails responsibly. No trash. Tread lightly.

#truckcamper #rmax #overland