Doolittle Trail

South slope and moderate elevations make this a nice spring and fall experience or a hot and dry summer challenge. The tread is narrow due to slumping side-hill shale rock, and footing is loose and sometimes treacherous. The overall gradient is fairly steep and there are 9 switchbacks on the upper 1/3 of the trail. There are several historic construction features such as rockwork and a water trough.
Forest Service plans are to upgrade this historic miners’ route, but with the Ridge Trail it’s already a useable but very challenging loop. Better yet, it’s an adventure as is and will be still challenging once the new section is constructed. It’s best to come up the Ridge Trail and down this trail. Or better yet: wait until the reconstruction is done on the Ridge Trail down through the burn. Before you start down (west) the Ridge, head on up (east) the Ridge Trail for ¼ mile to a group of rocks that afford great views through what is mostly dense timber. North are Canyon Creek and the Artic Mine; southeast is a terrific view into the roughest canyon of the South Yuba River.

To Doolittle Trail

Topographic Map: Blue Canyon.
From Golden Quartz Picnic Site follow old Maybert Road upriver for about 1.3 miles to the unsigned Doolittle trail intersection. There is a silver, round reflector tacked to a large Ponderosa Pine on the right side opposite the trail beginning. At the intersection the trail begins for a few hundred feet as a primitive road and then the trail veers off to the right (east) as a distinct trail.