Trail Manager: Trail Easement held by Bear Yuba Land Trust | Contact info@bylt.org / (530) 272-5994
Length: Wildflower Ridge Trail: 0.9 mile. Rough & Ready Ditch Trail: 1.0 mile. Full loop using both trails and connecting links: 2.6 miles
Altitude Change: Wildflower Ridge Trail: 114′ | Rough & Ready Ditch Trail: (36′)
Trail Surface: Natural Earth
Rules: No motorized vehicles, dogs on leash
Trailheads: From the top of Mill Street in downtown Grass Valley go 1.4 miles west out of town on West Main Street (becomes Rough & Ready Highway) to the intersection of Rough & Ready Highway and Ridge Road. The east end trailhead is at the dirt parking area next to the A to Z Supply “Garden Center” on Ridge Road. (N39.22928 W121.07946). When church is not in service, you can use the parking lot at Twin Cities Church to access the trails.
Wildflower Ridge and Rough & Ready Ditch Trail Facts: The Wildflower Ridge Trails wind through the former Kenny Ranch property just west of Grass Valley. This area boasts open meadows and is on a forested hillside that drops down toward Deer Creek. There are two trails located on this property; Wildflower Ridge Trail along the ridge, and Rough & Ready Ditch Trail running along the hillside about ¼ mile below the ridge. Wildflower Ridge Trail is characterized by its thin soil, caused from an ancient volcanic mud flow. This unusual geology supports a rare concentration of native plants. According to the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, over 100 plant species have been identified on just 25 acres. April through May are the prime months for seeing the brilliant displays of wildflowers. Hidden away on a peaceful wooded slope below the highway, the Rough & Ready Ditch quietly shuttles water from Nevada City to Rough & Ready — as it has been doing since 1854; this ditch was the first attempt to build a large scale mining ditch in California.
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