Chowchilla Trail

The Chowchilla Trail (Forest Service #21E340) is a short, technical singletrack segment in the Sierra National Forest south of Yosemite, tucked into the network of dirt-bike routes above Fish Camp and Ahwahnee. At under a mile long, it's not a destination ride on its own — it's the payoff descent riders use to finish a bigger loop, most often the Devil's Peak Ride out to the Signal Peak Lookout Tower.

What the Riding Is Like

The trail drops about 250 feet over roughly 0.8 miles, threading through granite outcrops and open meadow with an average grade around 6%. It's rated intermediate — jumps, turns, and rocky sections mean riders comfortable on technical singletrack will have fun here, but it's not a beginner run. The trail starts at a fire-road junction marked with a dirt-bike trail sign, reached by climbing Devil's Peak Summit Road (Forest Road #4S31).

When to Ride

This is USFS land managed by Sierra National Forest, and the trail closes for the winter once snow sets in. After rain, expect the granite sections to get muddy, so let it dry out before riding. Because it's a short connector rather than a stand-alone loop, plan the Chowchilla Trail as part of a longer ride rather than an out-and-back destination.