Grouse Ridge Trail is a more difficult 8.25 mile trail at an elevation of 6,160 feet. The trail extends north from Eagle Lakes to Sawmill Lake, providing a north-south route through the Grouse Lakes area. At the north end the trail crosses the spillway for the dam at Sawmill Lake, which may be impassable due to high water in Canyon Creek (spring and early summer.)

Traveling north from Eagle Lakes, a footbridge takes you across Fordyce Creek, a rather large stream. Fishing is often good when flows are not too high. From Fordyce Creek you climb through scattered timber, brush and rocky knolls to the junction with the Spaulding Lake and Beyers Lakes Trails. About 4.8 miles from Eagle Lakes, you come to the Grouse Ridge Road just south of the campground, a gain of 2,000 feet from the trailhead. From the campground the trail continues north. Views of the entire area are excellent. Descending from the campground, you can see Downey and Sanford Lakes to the east. Milk Lake lies just off the trail to the west. Fishing is good in all three of these lakes. A little over 2 miles of hiking through timber brings you to shallow Middle Lake (sometimes so shallow it is a meadow)continuing north, you emerge from the timber at Shotgun Lake-no longer a lake, but now a grassy pond or wet meadow. The trail descends along a timbered slope to Sawmill Lake and the South Fork of Canyon Creek.

Directions: From Nevada City, Travel east of Hwy. #20 for 19 miles and turn left onto Bowman Lake Road, which is four miles west of I-80 off State Hwy. #20. Travel north to the Graniteville Road, County Road #843, and bearing right. You will be following the road along Bowman Lake. After traveling 3.3 miles, turn right on Faucherie Lake Road and go 1.3 miles to the trailhead. The road is not recommended for low clearance vehicles.

Elevation: 6,160 feet

Ending Elevation: 6,400 feet

Elevation Gain: 240 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

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