The Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway provides access to a multitude of outstanding year-round recreational opportunities. During the warmer months, the byway visitor may enjoy numerous outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, camping, bicycling, picnicking, horseback riding, geocaching, flatwater and whitewater canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hunting, and rock climbing. In the winter, the midsection of the byway route is transformed into a winter wonderland, offering opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors in exciting new ways, astride downhill or cross country skis, snowboards, snowshoes, sleds or snowmobiles. Whatever season you visit, you can experience the finest and most extensive outdoor recreation available anywhere in the high Sierra region.

With its unique twist, turns and breathtaking scenery, the byway is an excellent venue for car clubs, photography workshops, plein air painting, and a wide variety of groups wanting to take in the sites. See car club icons on Points of Interest for areas with ample parking.

Two state parks and two national forests along the byway route each offer camping opportunities in developed campgrounds, as well as in dispersed areas on national forest lands and within the Carson-Iceberg and Mokelumne Wilderness areas. Calaveras Big Trees State Park has two developed campgrounds, while Grover Hot Springs has one large developed campground.

The Calaveras Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest manages 13 developed campgrounds on the west side of Ebbetts Pass, while the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest provides several scenic campgrounds on the east side of the pass.

Hiking/Backpacking

On the west side of Ebbetts Pass hiking is available on roads and trails in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, as well as 279 miles of hiking trails maintained by the Calaveras Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest. Grover Hot Springs State Park and the Carson Ranger District also offer a multitude of hiking trails on the east side. Hiking opportunities range from short, easy day hikes to strenuous, multi-day backpacking trips. Most of these trails are at high elevation (above 6,000 feet) and are accessible only during the summer and early fall months, whereas hiking the Arnold Rim Trail by White Pines is open virtually all year. The nationally recognized Pacific Crest Trail crosses the byway at Ebbetts Pass, and there is a handicapped accessible paved trail along the shoreline at Lake Alpine with a network of trails originating from this location.

Biking

Most trails and roads in the national forests, except for those in designated Wilderness, are open to bicyclists, as are roads in Calaveras Big Trees and Grover Hot Springs State Parks. Enjoy biking on paved or graveled U.S. Forest Service roads, as well as more challenging single track and 4x4 trails. Bear Valley is an especially popular destination for mountain bike enthusiasts, with a variety of riding opportunities for beginner through expert available in the immediate area. One of the premier bicycling events in the Country, the Tour of the California Alps—Death Ride, occurs annually along the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway, with riders climbing over five mountain passes in a single day.

Boating

With two rivers offering whitewater recreation opportunities plus an abundance
of scenic alpine lakes, boating enthusiasts can find multiple reasons to indulge their passion on the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway. The North Fork Stanislaus River offers experienced kayakers and rafters the chance to paddle a five-mile, Class IV stretch of the river between Sourgrass, near Dorrington and Calaveras Big Trees State Park, just east of Arnold. The run offers an exciting adventure through a spectacular, heavily timbered, isolated canyon, with abundant wildlife and numerous Native American and Gold Rush era artifacts. The East Fork Carson River, a designated California State Scenic River, provides a tamer, Class II stretch of whitewater beginning at the Hangman's Bridge put-in spot just east of Markleeville.

Flatwater paddlers can enjoy a variety of lakes with easy access for kayaks and canoes including such popular spots as White Pines Lake, Spicer Reservoir (for the more advanced paddlers due to wind), Union and Utica Reservoirs, and Lake Alpine on the Calaveras Ranger District. Motor boats are allowed on several lakes with a maximum speed limit of five mph; for high speed water sports such as water skiing and personal water crafts, head to the lower elevation reservoirs such as New Melones Lake outside Angels Camp or Lake Tulloch in Copperopolis, both off Highway 4 west of the byway or Lake Tahoe accessible from the east side.

Fishing

Fishing enthusiasts will find the lakes, rivers and streams on the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway abundant with rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Popular and readily accessible lakes with planted trout include White Pines Lake, Spicer, Union and Utica Reservoirs, Lake Alpine, and Mosquito, Highland, and Kinney Lakes. Fly fisherman in search of wild trout can challenge themselves on the North Fork of the Stanislaus, Mokelumne and East Fork Carson Rivers, as well as on variety of smaller streams that require some hiking to reach. Major Stanislaus River access points along the byway include Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Sourgrass, Gann's Meadow trail, and Spicer Reservoir Road, while easy access to the Mokelumne River is available in Hermit Valley. Mokelumne River tributaries including Deer Creek, Pacific Creek and Highland Creek also offer excellent trout fishing opportunities, as do east side streams such as Wolf Creek, Noble Creek and Silver Creek. The East Fork of the Carson River provides exceptional fishing opportunities, and is home to the rare Lahontan trout. Some of the more remote streams and lakes in the area support native populations of cutthroat and golden trout as well.

Picnicking

Three developed picnic grounds with tables, stoves and toilet facilities are located within the Calaveras Ranger District at Spicer Reservoir (near the boat launch), Marmot and Chickaree (both on the shores of Lake Alpine). Calaveras Big Trees State Park also has group and individual picnic sites on the North Grove and individual sites at Beaver Creek and Stanislaus River areas. Grover Hot Springs State Park, outside of Markleeville, also offers developed picnic sites. However, picnicking is not limited to only developed sites. You can enjoy a meal "al fresco" at virtually any shady spot in the forest where you can find off-road parking and space to spread out your blanket!

Winter Sports

It's midsection closed by heavy snow from November to May, the byway becomes a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts to enjoy crosscountry and downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, and snowmobiling. Two California SNO-Parks, one at Spicer Reservoir Road and one at the winter closure point west of Lake Alpine, provide access to groomed winter sports trails, while U.S. Forest Service roads and trails provide almost unlimited back country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities for the more experienced and adventurous. Bear Valley offers exceptional downhill and cross-country skiing at its two developed ski resorts, Bear Valley Mountain Resort and Bear Valley Cross Country. Calaveras Big Trees State Park is also a popular cross country skiing and snowshoeing destination.