There are three entrances to the trail: at Wentworth Springs, at the Loon Lake spillway, or on the Lake Tahoe side along Highway 89 near Tahoma. The
Wentworth Springs entrance, at
Gerle Creek, is the original entrance to the trail and starts with an obstacle known as Devil's Postpile (not to be confused with
Devils Postpile National Monument near
Mammoth Lakes). The
Loon Lake route is shorter, first crossing the Granite Bowl, a large open rock valley. The Loon Lake entrance previously had an obstacle known as The Gatekeeper. It was altered using explosives in October 2004 in a failed attempt to make the trail easier to reduce wheel spin and sediment movement to local waters. This attempt was a cooperative effort between El Dorado County and the Eldorado National Forest. The obstacle exists today and is still difficult by typical trail standards. The Wentworth Springs entrance joins the trail from Loon Lake shortly before Ellis Creek. After driving through the relatively mild section beyond Ellis Creek, the
Walker Hill obstacle is encountered. It includes a rocky climb followed by a notch that can either be straddled or side-hilled. Walker Hill is named for Chuck Walker, a long-time trail guide for Jeepers Jamboree known for his good attitude and winning smile. A short distance beyond Walker Hill is the Soup Bowl. The Soup Bowl is an optional obstacle next to the trail, a short climb with a series of ledges that are difficult to ascend. High clearance and long
wheelbases help with this obstacle. After passing the Soup Bowl, the Little Sluice awaits. The Little Sluice, also known as the
Sluice Box or simply as "The Box", is close to Spider Lake. It can be bypassed in two ways for vehicles that cannot ascend the main trail. The most common bypass route is to the left of the obstacle known as the long bypass. The second way to bypass the Little Sluice is to drive up Toyota Rock. Toyota Rock is to the right toward
Spider Lake (so named because it resembles a spider from above), just before the large rocks in the Little Sluice, and leads to the slabs that surround Little Sluice. The large rocks in the Little Sluice were reduced in size in the fall of 2012 by El Dorado County to reduce concentrated camping and the "spectator" atmosphere at the Sluice. The section is still difficult, but the difficulty has been reduced. After passing the Little Sluice, the next obstacle is Thousand Dollar Hill (also sometimes called Million Dollar Hill). It is a rock ledge followed by a steep grade, facing downhill if driving the trail toward Lake Tahoe. As of 7/15/2012, Thousand Dollar Hill has been closed. This obstacle had a moderately difficult bypass (the original trail), which is now the only route open. The next obstacle is Arnold's Rock, named for Kenny and Mike Arnold, brothers who guided this section at early Jamborees. The trail splits again about a quarter mile past this point, the lower trail continuing on the granite slabs (aka Indian Trail) or the upper (original) trail through the Old Sluice. Both routes lead to
Buck Island Lake. The granite slabs are
off-camber but are an easier and much quicker route to take. The trail then continues toward the Big Sluice. This downhill section contains a switchback with a rock drop-off and an off-camber rocky section, leading to the Rubicon River Bridge and then into the private property of the
Rubicon Springs. Rubicon Springs is on private property and must be respected as such. A cabin (in the same spot as the former 2-story hotel) houses the caretaker family. Many campsites are available in this area, as well as a
helipad for emergencies and for large events to fly supplies in. Most large events set up base camp in this area because it is large enough for hundreds of people to camp. Notable annual events are the Jeepers Jamboree (maximum of 500 vehicles), the Jeep Jamboree (200 vehicles), the Toyota Land Cruiser Association's Rubithon (approximately 150-200 vehicles), and the Marlin Crawler Round-Up (approximately 150-200 vehicles). After Rubicon Springs is
Cadillac Hill. Cadillac Hill is a series of switchbacks up to Observation Point, starting with a rutted-out section with many exposed tree roots. After turning a hairpin, the trail becomes very off-camber and contains a series of boulders to maneuver around or over. After that is a steep stair-step obstacle to climb. At the top of the hill is Observation Point, a good place to see where you have just driven and to take a short break before the long dirt road back to
Lake Tahoe. There are a few small sections of rocks like "Potato Patch" and the "Slabs" after this, but nothing that poses a significant obstacle. == Rubicon land use issues ==