Every mile of Heart of Gold Gravel tells a story.
The Short, Medium, and Long courses travel through the forests, ridgelines, historic mining towns, and gravel backroads of Nevada County. Along the way, riders pass places that helped shape California Gold Rush history, from old mining communities to iconic crossings and hidden corners of the Sierra foothills.
To make the routes easier to explore, we have divided the journey into four legs. All three courses begin together on Leg 1. The Medium and Long courses continue through Leg 2 before all three routes come back together for Legs 3 and 4.
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All three courses begin together.
Ride from Nevada City into the forested ridges of Nevada County, cross the South Yuba River at Edwards Crossing, and follow historic backroads to the first major course split.
Medium and Long courses.
Climb Back Bone Road into the historic mining country surrounding Moores Flat, Graniteville, Relief Hill, and North Bloomfield as the Medium and Long routes venture deeper into the Sierra foothills.
All three courses come back together.
Travel through historic North Bloomfield and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park before following rolling forest roads toward North Columbia.
All three courses share the final leg.
Ride through North Columbia, Tyler Foote Crossing, Cherokee, and Purdon Bridge before making the final climb back toward Nevada City and the finish at Pioneer Park.
Choose your course and come experience the gravel roads, Gold Rush history, and communities that make Nevada County unforgettable.
LET'S GO GET THAT GOLD!
