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Every year, during the second Thursday through Sunday in August, California Four Wheel Drive Association, Inc. holds the Sierra Trek event, which is the largest four wheel drive events in Northern California. The event is held at Meadow Lake, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, northwest of Truckee, in the Tahoe National Forest, and offers amazing four wheeling, great companionship, fun, and great FOOD. Speaking of food, when you're at base camp, and your hungry for a snack, you'll enjoy the delicious food served at the Hi-Landers Snack Bar, operated by the Hi-Landers 4WD Club, of Orangevale, CA. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: CA4WDC's annual Sierra Trek event offers some of the best four wheeling on the west coast, along with fun activities and amazing mountain cuisine, at Trek Snack Bar, hosted by the Hi-Landers 4WD Club, located in the greater Sacramento area. It's early afternoon, Thursday, August 06, 2025, and it's time to enjoy a delicious hot dog and fries!
Photo: The menu is very basic, but offers everything you could ever hope to enjoy. I never get sick of hot dogs or burgers, especially when enjoyed with a side of Hi-Landers amazing fries. For the next three days, I'll be eating at the snack bar for lunch and dinner.
Photo: Talented chef Rich works the grill on this Thursday afternoon. One of my hot dog is cooking on the grill as the photo is taken.
Photo: Sous chef Rich takes an order of crinkle cut fries - maybe mine - out of the portable deep fryer. The Hi-Landers create some of best fries that you can ever imagine and I order a side of them with every meal I order. I don't know what I "wasn't" thinking, as I should have ordered a standalone side of fries, and then added chili, cheese and some of the fresh jalapeņo chili pepper slices to create a little slice of heaven in rural Nevada County.
Photo: Meet Rich, the friendly chef, who delivered my hot dog and side of fries with a smile.
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I'm ready to enjoy a delicious hot dog and fries, grilled and deep fried to perfection. For some of the best food in the high Sierra Nevada mountains, be sure to visit Hi Landers Snack Bar when you attend the Sierra Trek event, as you'll love their delicious food.
Photo: Condiments include chilled mayonnaise, sweet dill pickle relish, ketchup, mustard and sliced fresh jalapeņo chili pepper, medium or hot.
Photo: My hot dog was a large quarter-pound beef dog, grilled to perfection, complete with grill marks. The meat was placed in a large, fresh bun, with the perfect meat-to-bun ratio. Each bun was lightly toasted on the grill, which always adds to the delicious flavor. One bite into the dog and I was rewarded with a crisp "snap," which is the trademark of natural casing, along with a juicy, flavorful taste sensation. These dogs were wonderful! The dogs came "bare" from the kitchen, but there was of mustard, ketchup, dill pickle relish and mayonnaise for your pleasure. If that wasn't enough, there were fresh, diced jalapeņo chili pepper, hot or mild. I added mustard, relish and mayonnaise, AND fresh, medium jalapeņo slices to my hot dog, to make it a complete, fulfilling hot dog. I'm not a kid, so I NEVER ruin a fine hot dog by desecrating it with ketchup! Such an amazing hot dog! The "French Fries" at High Landers Snack Bar are simply the BEST! The fries were deep fried to perfection to a medium golden brown with a "crisp," but white, juicy and tender on the inside. Yes, I added ketchup, as the "kid" in me loves to dip my fries in ketchup, but it really wasn't needed, as these fries were stand-alone delicious! You MUST order fries with any meal at this fine restaurant, as they are some of the best I've every enjoyed, and make a perfect side. The fry chef has talent!
Photo: I hold my delicious hot dog, ready for my first bite. Yes, it's messy, but that's half the fun of it!
Photo: Later in the day, I went back for dinner, which was another delicious hot dog, along with a side of "Cheese Nachos." I confess that I was disappointed with the nachos, as they were simply supermarket tortilla chips with melted cheese-from-the-can over them. I should have ordered a side of chili to them, and added a few jalapeņo slices to spice them up. Whatever... they were crispy, salty and gooey good.
Photo: Friday, August 07, 2026, my lunch was a "Cheeseburger" along with a side of "French Fries." For my cheeseburger, I splurged and for an extra dollar, I went with bacon on my burger. If you're a connoisseur of fries, Hi-Landers' fries are some of the best, and I always order a side of them with every meal. The cheeseburger began with a large beef patty - most likely about 6-oz - perfectly grilled to perfection. The meat was gilled medium - which is my choice - and I neglected to ask the staff if you could enjoy your meat grilled any other way. The beef patty was juicy, tender, cooked to perfection and simply delicious. Oh yes... since I'd ordered a cheeseburger, the meat was topped with a slice of half-melted American cheese, which was simply perfect. Three pieces of perfectly grilled bacon were placed on top of the melted cheese. The meat was placed on a fresh, premium bun, and I noted the staff "nailed" the burger, as it had the perfect bun-to-meat ratio which is crucial for a great burger. Since I ordered "everything" with my burger, it was topped with lettuce, tomato slice and red onion. I added mustard, mayonnaise and medium jalapeņo slices to my bacon/cheeseburger. One bite into the burger rewarded me with a cornucopia of flavors: Juicy, tender beef, topped with melted American cheese, a soft, sweet bun, along with chilled lettuce, tomato and onion. Yes, unlike other cheeseburgers, I could actually taste and enjoy the cheese which enhanced the burger beyond description. The added condiments, mayonnaise and pickled jalapeņo pepper slices added a bit of pizzzazzz and made this an amazing burger to enjoy at CA4WDC's 2024 edition of Sierra Trek. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed some of the best fries in mountains, and certainly on any four wheel drive event. The fries were perfectly deep fried to a crunchy, medium golden brown on the outside, and white, tender and amazing on the inside. The tender inside, combined with the deep fried outside gave a bit of "crunch" which made these fries some of the best fries on the planet. An amazing cheeseburger and a side of some of the best fries in the Tahoe National Forest? ... such an amazing lunch! You can't beat this lunch... ever!
Photo: From the "Trek Snack Bar" menu, I went with another hot dog, along with a side of fries, as I simply can't resist one of the best hot dogs and fries that you can ever imagine. Yes, it was very similar to what I posted a couple days ago, so you know the details. I can't get enough of these delicious hot dogs! Such a great lunch for Saturday, August 08, 2026!
Photo: My hot dog was a large quarter-pound beef dog, grilled to perfection, complete with grill marks. The meat was placed in a large, fresh bun, with the perfect meat-to-bun ratio. Each bun was lightly toasted on the grill, which always adds to the delicious flavor. For condiments, I added mustard, mayonnaise along with medium jalapeņo slices complete with seeds for added flavor, and a bit of heat. Wow! This hot dog was amazing!
Photo: Early Saturday evening, I went back for dinner, but I stopped by to say "hello" to tonight's talented chef, and watch him grill the patty for tonight's cheeseburger.
Photo: My Saturday dinner of cheeseburger and fries, delivered with a smile! Note the containers of fresh medium or hot jalapeņo chili pepper slices, which will really spice up your meal. For some reason, I didn't add any jalapeņos to my cheeseburger tonight. Perhaps I'd had enough of them, as I'd been enjoying them with every meal the last couple days!
Photo: For my dinner on Saturday, August 08, 2026, I went with a "Cheeseburger," along with an order of "French Fries." I can't think of anything that I'd love more for a Saturday night dinner at Sierra Trek 2026! The beef patty was good sized - at least a quarter pound - and grilled to perfection by the talented chef. The meat was tender, juicy, lightly seasoned, and grilled just right. I'd guess the meat was cooked to "medium," as it was grilled on the outside, and tender, juicy with just a hint of "pink" on the inside. The meat rested on a fresh, larger-sized sesame seed bun, and since I'd ordered a cheeseburger, the meat was topped with a slab of melted American cheese. The meat-to-bun ratio was perfect. Salad items for the hamburger included sliced red onion, tomato slices and lettuce leaves. All of the "salad" was fresh and delicious, and definitely enhanced the taste of this delicious burger. The "French Fries" ... or simply... "the fries..." were AMAZING and perhaps the best fries that I have EVER enjoyed in all of my 70 years! The fries were large and "crinkle cut," lightly salted and deep fried to a perfect golden brown on the outside, with a white and tender inside. Simply delicious! I later found out that these delicious fries were deep fried inside a large, "Texas-style" grill, using charcoal for heat, and oak wood for smoke and taste. The talented chef certainly worked magic with the fries, and later in the day, I came back for seconds. For the price of $10.00 you simply can't beat the cheeseburger and fries, as the meal was simply delicious. Consider Sierra Trek is a CA4WDC fundraiser, and a portion of the revenue generated at the snack bar goes to CA4WDC. Not to mention the fact that you're at the 7300-foot elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and you're around 1-1/2 hours from Truckee, the nearest town. Forget your "fast food" cravings and enjoy an amazing burger and fries at Hi- Landers Snack Bar! What could be better than to enjoy delicious snacks at one of the premier four wheel drive events in the State of California? The food is delicious, the prices are very reasonable, and the staff is as friendly as it gets. Not the mention that most of the proceeds go to help keep our public lands open to four wheeling for future generations to enjoy. Did I mention the fries are some the best fries that I've had the pleasure to enjoy on camping trip in the high Sierra Nevada mountains? When you're enjoying all the fun Sierra Trek has to offer, stop by the Hi-Landers Snack Bar and enjoy some amazing mountain cuisine. Hi-Landers Snack Bar Copyright(c) 2026 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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