Running the Western States 100 Trail: Olympic Valley to Auburn

The Western States 100 is not a race you run before you're ready. But the trail it follows — from Olympic Valley at 6,200 feet through the Granite Chief Wilderness and down through the American River canyon to the finish track in Auburn — is not a trail that belongs only to the race.

The route is runnable in segments, as a point-to-point thru-run for those with logistics support, or as a series of day outings covering different sections across a week's visit. The forest service roads, the trail markers, the aid station locations — all of it exists outside the single June weekend each year when the race operates. This is a destination guide for running the course on your own terms.

The Course in Three Sections

The 100-mile route divides naturally into three distinct environments, each with its own character and its own physical demands.

Section 1: Olympic Valley to Robinson Flat (30 miles, +8,700 / -5,200 ft)

The race opens on ski terrain. The first three miles climb from the Olympic Valley plaza to High Camp at roughly 8,700 feet — a sustained 2,800-foot gain on ski runs and access roads that defines the opening hour of the race and is used by the Broken Arrow Skyrace Ascent, which runs this same face annually.

From High Camp the trail follows the Granite Chief ridgeline, with views south into Lake Tahoe and west into the Foresthill divide. The terrain above the tree line here is exposed and, in late June, patchy with snow on north-facing aspects. The descent off the ridge through Lyon Ridge and Red Star Ridge brings the first forested running — the long, rolling miles above the American River that occupy the course's middle-distance opening before Robinson Flat, at mile 30, marks the first major crew access point.

Day run from Olympic Valley: 15 miles to Red Star Ridge and back (out-and-back, moderate). Full up-and-over to Duncan Canyon requires a car shuttle.

Section 2: Robinson Flat to Foresthill (38 miles, +5,400 / -9,200 ft)

The race's middle section is its most variable. Robinson Flat (mile 30) to Last Chance (mile 44) covers broken canyon country — the characteristic ridgeline-and-drainage terrain of the western Sierra Nevada, with short climbs above creek crossings and extended descents into drainage bottoms that pile up cumulative loss of elevation.

The critical terrain begins at Devil's Thumb — a short, steep wall of switchbacks above the El Dorado Creek canyon that arrives at roughly mile 47 and has a reputation disproportionate to its actual length. What matters at Devil's Thumb is that it arrives 47 miles into the race, not that it is technically difficult. The climb off El Dorado Creek to Michigan Bluff (mile 55) is steeper and more sustained; the descent into Volcano Canyon below Michigan Bluff is technical on tired legs.

Foresthill (mile 62) is the race's major crew point. The town of Foresthill sits on the Foresthill Divide at roughly 3,400 feet, and the school parking lot operates as the de-facto emotional midpoint for crew and pacers despite being only 62% of the course complete. Pacers join here.

Day run from Michigan Bluff: the section from Michigan Bluff down Volcano Canyon and up to Foresthill is a 10-mile loop (with transportation logistics). It covers the character that defines the race's middle-back section and rewards revisiting.

Section 3: Foresthill to Auburn (38 miles, +3,800 / -8,000 ft)

The final section follows the American River canyon. From Foresthill, the course descends the Cal Street trail — a fast, sometimes dusty track through oak and manzanita — to the river at the Rucky Chucky crossing at mile 78. The crossing is knee-to-thigh deep in normal years, higher in heavy snowpack seasons; the race uses a cable crossing to manage the ford. Beyond the river, the course climbs through the canyon walls to Green Gate, then runs the Auburn Lake Trails community roads and the No Hands Bridge trail (mile 96.8) before the final push into Auburn.

No Hands Bridge is a 19th-century railroad bridge over the American River, now a pedestrian crossing. The 3.3 miles from No Hands Bridge to the finish track in Auburn are the race's most emotionally loaded — the point at which a runner knows, for the first time, that the finish is measurable in single-digit miles.

Day run from Auburn: the Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA) trail network includes the course's final 15 miles in reverse. The ASRA trailhead near Cool provides access to No Hands Bridge and back — an excellent 10-mile option for runners who want to run the finish section without driving to Foresthill.

When to Visit

Late May through mid-July is the primary season. Snow clearance on the high-country section typically occurs by late May; the trail above Lyon Ridge and through the Granite Chief Wilderness is snow-free by the first week of June in normal snowpack years. The July heat in the American River canyons — which can reach 100°F in the section between Foresthill and the river — shifts the canyon running to early mornings or cooler late-afternoon windows.

October and November offer an underrated alternative. The canyon heat is gone, the fall light through the oaks on the Cal Street trail is exceptional, and the trail traffic drops to nothing after the race-season crowds move on. The Granite Chief high country may see early snow above 8,000 feet by late October.

Avoid: late July and August for any high-country running. The Granite Chief Wilderness sees thunderstorm activity most afternoons from late July; exposed ridgeline running above 8,000 feet should be completed by midday.

Fly into: Sacramento (SMF) or Reno-Tahoe (RNO). Sacramento is 90 minutes from Auburn and 2 hours from Olympic Valley. Reno is 45 minutes from Olympic Valley. Both airports have rental car desks; a car is essential for this destination — the segments are spread across 100 miles of terrain with no single public-transit option.

Stay in: Olympic Valley or Truckee for the high-country section; Auburn or Foresthill for the canyon section.

• Olympic Valley puts you at the start line, with the Palisades Tahoe resort's post-ski-season lodging (significantly cheaper than winter), trail access from the door, and the Truckee River corridor's food and coffee options 10 minutes north.
• Truckee is the practical base: a full mountain town with grocery stores, running shops, more accommodation options, and road access to both the high-country trailheads and the Tahoe basin.
• Auburn anchors the finish-section exploration. The Auburn Old Town has good food and the Auburn SRA trailhead is 10 minutes from downtown. Stay here if you're focused on the canyon miles.

Planning a Full-Course Week

A serious destination runner can cover the full 100-mile route across five to seven days, running different segments from different bases:

• Day 1–2: High country. Olympic Valley base. Run the Ascent segment (to High Camp and back, 6 miles round trip) and the Lyon Ridge section (to Red Star Ridge, 12 miles round trip).
• Day 3: Robinson Flat to Last Chance. Car shuttle (drive the Foresthill Road to Robinson Flat trailhead). 14 miles point-to-point to Last Chance, shuttle car pickup at the Last Chance trailhead.
• Day 4: Rest or Truckee recovery.
• Day 5: Michigan Bluff to Foresthill. 10-mile section with car shuttle. Covers Devil's Thumb, El Dorado Canyon, Volcano Canyon.
• Day 6–7: Auburn SRA. Two runs covering the Foresthill to river section and the No Hands Bridge to Auburn finish. 15 miles per session with early starts.

Frequently Asked

Do I need permits to run the Western States course? No permit is required to run any portion of the trail on public land (Tahoe National Forest, Granite Chief Wilderness, Auburn SRA). The Granite Chief Wilderness requires Leave No Trace compliance and has a 12-person group size limit. No campfire permits in the wilderness area during peak season.

Is the course marked year-round? Partially. The Auburn SRA section is well-signed. The high-country section above Lyon Ridge uses intermittent trail markers; a current GPS track is essential above the tree line. The canyon sections (El Dorado, Volcano, Cal Street) are marked as part of the Auburn SRA trail network.

What fitness level does the full route require? Running the full 100 miles as a multi-day experience is accessible to runners with 50-mile ultra experience. Individual sections range from demanding day hikes (high country out-and-backs) to technical trail runs (Michigan Bluff–Foresthill) that require solid single-track skills and heat management in summer.

Where do I stay if I'm watching the race itself? Athletes in the 2026 Western States 100 start Saturday June 27 at 5 AM. For spectators, Foresthill (mile 62) and No Hands Bridge (mile 96.8) offer the most accessible viewing points on race day. Auburn's Placer High School Track hosts the finish — open to the public 24 hours a day during race weekend, with the lead runners arriving from approximately 14:00 Saturday and the final cutoff at 11:30 AM Sunday.

Where can I find training partners for Sierra Nevada trail running? Connect with runners based in Truckee, Auburn, or the Tahoe basin via Find Athletes in Olympic Valley or Auburn on ZealZag.

For the race week field report covering the Broken Arrow Skyrace results and the Western States build-up, see our Olympic Valley race week field report.