It’s almost here!

Trans North California Route (TNCA 400)

392 miles | 30,000+ ft climbing | Self-Supported | Sierra Crest to Pacific Coast

The Trans North California Route begins at the Nevada–California border near Boomtown Casino & Hotel in Verdi and immediately rises into the formidable Sierra Nevada.

You are riding across a tilted block of granite — a massive slab of Earth’s crust uplifted along faults over millions of years. These mountains are the exposed roots of an ancient volcanic arc formed when oceanic crust subducted beneath North America. The granite you pedal over crystallized deep underground during the age of dinosaurs, then was slowly revealed by erosion and glaciation. 

Glacial polish, erratics, moraines, and U-shaped valleys still mark the high country. Streams cascade off snowmelt-fed watersheds that eventually drain into the Sacramento River system and the Pacific.

Do not underestimate this section.

This is not a manicured gravel ride. The course follows ungraded Forest Service roads, historic stagecoach routes, forgotten mining access roads, and raw singletrack. You’ll roll over decomposed granite, volcanic soils, fractured bedrock, and pine-needle-covered doubletrack. Short hike-a-bike sections are part of the Sierra experience!

You are riding through landscapes shaped by tectonic violence, ice, fire, and gold fever.

Registration:

USE LINK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE TO REGISTER

QUESTIONS? EMAIL TNCA400@GMAIL.COM

Gold Rush Country & Forest City

As you move deeper into the Sierra, you travel through the historic northern mines of the California Gold Rush. Camptonville, Forest City, and the surrounding ridgelines once pulsed with hydraulic mining operations that literally blasted away entire hillsides in search of placer gold.

Forest City’s singletrack cuts through second-growth forest that was once stripped bare. Massive hydraulic monitors tore apart ancient river beds deposited millions of years before humans arrived. The scars of those operations shaped the watershed patterns you ride through today.

The water flowing in these creeks carved gold-bearing channels long before prospectors arrived.

Camptonville becomes your first resupply nearly 100 miles from the start — a reminder of how remote this terrain remains.

Oroville & the Feather River Basin

Descending toward Oroville, the geology changes. You leave high granite country and enter metamorphic foothills shaped by faulting and river incision. The Feather River system carved deep canyons here, transporting Sierra sediment westward for millions of years.

The route passes through the Oroville Wildlife Area — known today for goathead thorns — but historically tied to massive water engineering projects and flood control efforts tied to California’s agricultural expansion.

This is the edge of the Great Valley.

Sacramento Valley Crossing

The cruise across the Sacramento Valley offers physical relief but geological contrast. What feels flat and endless was once an inland sea. The valley floor consists of marine sediments, river deposits, and floodplain soils built from Sierra runoff.

This agricultural basin feeds much of the nation.

On the western horizon rises Goat Mountain — looming with grandeur 

Mendocino National Forest — A Roadless Wild

West of Maxwell, you enter Mendocino National Forest, California’s only national forest not crossed by a paved highway.

This range is geologically distinct from the Sierra. Here you enter the Franciscan Complex — a chaotic mix of oceanic crust, chert, sandstone, and metamorphosed seabed scraped onto the continent along subduction zones. These rocks were once deep ocean floor.

The terrain is steep, fractured, and wild. Goat Mountain is a hors-category climb not just in effort, but in remoteness. The isolation here is real.

No paved crossings. No easy exits. Just folded seabed lifted skyward.

Lake Mendocino & Ukiah Valley

Dropping into Potter Valley, you reconnect with river systems that drain toward the Russian River watershed. The riding along Lake Mendocino flows through oak woodland and riparian zones shaped by both natural erosion and modern dam construction.

Ukiah marks your final major resupply. Historically a hub for logging and ranching, Ukiah sits in a tectonically active valley influenced by the nearby San Andreas Fault system.

From here, you turn west into the coastal mountains. Low gap road, introduced by TNCA before Grasshoppers made an event of it, is one of the kindest climbs in California

The Conservation Fund Lands & Coastal Transition

With permission, the route crosses land managed by The Conservation Fund — the only private property on course. These preserved lands protect working forests and habitat corridors critical to Northern California ecosystems.

The climate begins to change. Marine air pushes inland. Temperatures drop. Vegetation shifts from oak woodland to mixed conifer to coastal redwood.

Redwood Realm — Jackson Demonstration State Forest

Entering Jackson Demonstration State Forest, you ride among towering coast redwoods — relatives of the giant sequoias you began among in the Sierra.

These trees thrive in fog-fed ecosystems along California’s coastal belt. The forest here has been logged, regrown, studied, and managed for over a century. Some old growth remains, humbling and immense.

Loamy, swoopy singletrack near The Woodlands Camp provides the final reward — soft soil built from centuries of organic accumulation under towering trees.

The Pacific is near.

Finish — Mendocino

Your final destination is Mendocino, perched on marine terraces carved by wave action and tectonic uplift. Sea cliffs, pounding surf, and fog banks define the finish line atmosphere.

From Jurassic granite to scraped ocean crust to coastal uplift — you have crossed nearly the entire geological story of California in 392 miles.

Wildlife & Reality Check

• Black bears inhabit both the Sierra and Coast Ranges.
• Rattlesnakes thrive in the foothills and oak zones.
• Mountain lions range throughout the route.
• Water sources are natural and must be treated.
• Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent.
• Cash is still king & necessary in rural stops.
• No responsibility or liability is accepted for riders becoming lost or stranded
• Tracking is handled via Trackleaders. Purchase or rent a tracker for safety, accountability, and public tracking. SPOT/GARMIN IN REACH/ZOLEO all supported.

You are completely self-supported.

No one is coming to rescue poor decisions quickly.

The Bigger Story

The Trans North California Route is more than a bikepacking challenge.

It is a traverse of:

• Tectonic uplift
• Subduction zones
• Gold Rush history
• Hydraulic mining scars
• Agricultural empire
• Roadless national forest
• Working timberland
• Fog-fed redwood ecosystems
• Coastal uplift and Pacific surf

392 miles. 30,000+ vertical feet. Granite to redwood. Desert edge to ocean cliffs.

If you do not agree that you are fully responsible for yourself and undertaking this of your own volition — do not start.

If you do:

You will cross California the hard way.

Categories:

• Ladies Geared
• Gentlemen Geared
• Ladies Single Speed / Fixed
• Gentlemen Single Speed / Fixed
• Tandem

### Important Liability Notice for TNCA 400 Participants

**Liability Disclaimer**: 

- TNCA 400 and Doug Frederick **hold no liability** for any damages, injuries, or pain and suffering that may occur during the event.

- **Self-Supported Event**: 

- Participants are responsible for their own safety and well-being throughout the course.

- **No Fees**: 

- There are **no registration fees or any type of fees** collected for participation.

### **Preparation Reminder**

- Ensure you are well-prepared and fully understand the self-supported nature of this event. 

If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out! Safe travels! 🚴‍♂️✨

Start Line Logistics

Airports

• Reno-Tahoe International Airport ~17 miles from the start (cabs available) or ride the Tahoe-Pyramid trail and see the Littlest Big City! 
• Consider multi-city flights:
  • Fly into Reno
  • Fly out of SFO/Oakland/Santa Rosa
• Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS) is especially convenient for riders from Portland, Seattle, LA, or San Diego.
• Sacramento is another viable option (may require one-way rental car or ride coordination).

Amtrak or one-way flights from the Bay Area are also possible. Make sure departing station has luggage loading platform. Not all stops have it!!

Finish Line Logistics

Mendocino is a small coastal town with limited services (lodging, camping, sandwich shops).

Highly recommended:
Mendocino Transit Authority bus service** as of 2026 

• Route 65 CC rider southbound to Willits/Ukiah or Santa Rosa  
• Departs Mendocino @ Main St & Lansing St 7:02am
• Arrives in Santa Rosa at 10:35am
• Stops at Santa Rosa Airport (STS) upon request
• 2026 fare:
  • $2 with chip credit card
  • $23 cash

Each bus has two bicycle carriers (fat bikes do not fit).

Save your family and friends hours of driving—take the MTA bus.