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A calm river between pines and orange autumn brush near Quincy, California
Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

Grinduro California course maps and aid stations

A gravel race out of Quincy where only the timed stages count, on a 51.5 mile loop or the 23.3 mile Grindurito.

2027 dates not announced yet, usually in September Quincy, California

Grinduro started in Quincy in 2015, as a gravel road race crossed with a mountain bike enduro. You ride one long loop, but your result is the sum of the timed stages. Between them you can ride at whatever pace you like, as long as you make each stage's cutoff. Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship puts it on, and the entry fees pay for trail building in the Lost Sierra. The race left Quincy after 2019 and came back in 2025. In 2026 it was on Saturday, September 12, as part of the Mountains to Meadows Endurofest weekend at the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds.

Both courses climb Mt. Hough on dirt roads, and their last timed stage is the Smokechaser descent on the Mt. Hough Trail singletrack. The 2027 date and route aren't out yet, so the map shows the organizer's 2026 courses with their aid stations and stage cutoffs.

The rules put staying on course on you, and missing tape or barriers isn't an excuse for going off it. Download the map before you go. Your phone's GPS will show where you are on the line and how far it is to the next aid station.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Grinduro California. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Grinduro course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Grinduro courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Grinduro51.5 mi (83 km)7,125 ft (2,172 m)Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 AM
Grindurito23.3 mi (38 km)2,973 ft (906 m)Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 AM

Start times are the 2026 edition's.

Grinduro Grinduro

The full loop over Mt. Hough, with all four timed stages.

Distance
51.5 mi (83 km)
Climbing
7,125 ft (2,172 m)
Start
Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 AM

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The 2026 course was 51.5 miles with 7,125 feet of climbing, by the rider guide. It starts at 8 AM with a neutral rollout of about 2 miles on Bell Lane and Quincy Junction Road to Mt. Hough Road. The first stage, Huff-n-Puff, is a 1.6 mile climb with 739 feet of gain. You have to start it by 9 AM, and Aid 1 comes soon after at mile 8.1.

From Aid 1 it's 18 miles to Aid 2, and most of the big climb to Argentine and Grizzly Ridge comes in that stretch. Grizzly's Grinder starts at Aid 2: 4.8 miles of rolling dirt road, with a 1:30 PM cutoff. King Solomon's Fall, from Aid 3, is a 2.4 mile descent of King Solomon Road (2:15 PM cutoff). Smokechaser starts at Aid 4 and drops 2,202 feet in 5.6 miles of Mt. Hough Trail singletrack. The guide gives it a 3:30 PM cutoff, and the race page says 3:45 PM. You pass Aid 1 and Aid 3 twice.

A wet two-lane road through tall pines and yellowing trees near Quincy
Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

Grinduro Grindurito

Half the distance, with the first and last timed stages.

Distance
23.3 mi (38 km)
Climbing
2,973 ft (906 m)
Start
Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 AM

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Grindurito was 23.3 miles with 2,973 feet of climbing in 2026. It starts with the full race at 8 AM and shares its first climb, Huff-n-Puff, which has the same 9 AM cutoff. From there it leaves out the big climb and the middle two stages, passes Aid 3 and Aid 4, then takes the same Smokechaser descent. The guide's cutoff for it is 3:30 PM, and the organizer's Grindurito route on Komoot says 3:45 PM.

The guide numbers its three aid stations 1 to 3. On the map they're Grinduro's Aid 1, 3 and 4, at miles 8.1, 11.4 and 13.4. Podiums go to the top man, woman and juniors. E-bikes are allowed in Grindurito, untimed, but not in Grinduro.

A creek running over rocks below a pine forest with autumn color near Quincy
Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

Registration

Entry is through BikeReg. In 2026 Grinduro or Grindurito cost $240 ($120 for juniors), or $340 with Sunday's Mt. Hough Enduro too. Prices went up $15 on August 29. Online entry closed September 9, after which you could still sign up on site at the higher price. Transfers went through BikeReg until September 8; there were no transfers at the event.

Entry includes tent camping, a timing chip and breakfast and dinner on race day. A share of the fees pays for event cancellation insurance, which refunds entries if the race is called off for a reason the policy covers, such as a wildfire.

Getting to Quincy

Wild turkeys walking along the pine-needle shoulder of a road near Quincy, under yellow autumn leaves
Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

Quincy is in the northwestern Sierra Nevada, in Plumas County. The closest major airport is Reno-Tahoe International, about an hour and a half away by car, and the organizer puts the drive from the Bay Area at four to five hours.

Everything happens at the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, 204 Fairground Road. Park in the big lot on the south side, near the entrance. In 2026 camping opened at 8 AM on Thursday and ran until 10 AM Monday. Vans and RVs cost extra, and dogs aren't allowed at the fairgrounds under a county ordinance.

On course

Support and follow vehicles aren't allowed, and you're your own mechanic. The aid stations have water, Tailwind, GU, fruit and snacks, and in 2026 there was no lunch stop. Roads stay open to traffic, so expect cars, ATVs, motorcycles, livestock and wild animals, and keep right of the yellow line. Headphones aren't allowed.

Chip timing starts at the fairgrounds, and each stage has a mat at its start and end. Smokechaser is on the Mt. Hough Trail, which Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship opened for the first Grinduro in 2015. The stewardship says Mt. Hough now has nearly 80 miles of singletrack.

Bike, kit and weather

A calm river between pines and orange autumn brush near Quincy, California
Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

Any pedal bike is allowed, and whether a gravel bike or a hardtail suits Mt. Hough better is an open argument. On a gravel bike, the organizer recommends 45 mm tires at least; for the Grindurito descent, many riders suggest a mountain bike. Bring at least two spare tubes, a multi-tool, a mini pump and two bottles. Come on a road bike with inner tubes and you're almost certain to finish on foot, the organizer warns, if you finish at all.

Quincy averages a high of 82°F and a low of 40°F in September, by NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals. The course climbs well above town, and the organizer says to bring arm and leg warmers and a jacket. The race goes ahead in rain, shine, sleet or snow.

Grinduro aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds (start and finish)

    3,455 ft (1,053 m)

    39.94021, -120.91428

  • Aid 1

    4,974 ft (1,516 m)

    39.99330, -120.85052

  • Aid 2 (Grizzly's Grinder start)

    7,051 ft (2,149 m)

    39.96379, -120.75941

  • Aid 3 (King Solomon's Fall start; Grindurito's Aid 2)

    5,794 ft (1,766 m)

    40.01874, -120.83800

  • Aid 4 (Smokechaser start; Grindurito's Aid 3)

    5,577 ft (1,700 m)

    40.01240, -120.85983

Grinduro FAQ

When is Grinduro California 2027?

The 2027 date hadn't been announced when this page was checked. The 2026 race was on Saturday, September 12, in Quincy, with camping from Thursday to Monday.

How is Grinduro scored?

Only the timed stages count. Your result is the total of the four stage times, or two in Grindurito, and the riding in between is untimed as long as you reach each stage before its cutoff.

What bike should I ride at Grinduro?

Either a gravel bike or a hardtail works, and the organizer says each suits some stages better. On a gravel bike, run tubeless tires 45 mm or wider. Many riders suggest a mountain bike for the Grindurito descent.

Can you ride an e-bike at Grinduro?

Only in Grindurito, and the series says e-bike riders there are untimed. The full Grinduro is for bikes without a motor.

How far apart are the aid stations at Grinduro?

In 2026 the Grinduro aid stations were at miles 8.1, 26.3, 33.9, 36.3, 39.6 and 41.6. The 18 miles from Aid 1 to Aid 2 is the long one, so carry at least two bottles.

Are there other Grinduro races?

Yes. Grinduro Pennsylvania runs out of Lock Haven, on July 18 in 2026, over 79 miles or the 42 mile Grindurito. Grinduro Scotland was at Drumlanrig Castle on June 27, 2026. This page covers California only.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.