Olmstead Loop

December 22, 2011 in California, Cool, Olmstead Loop, Trail Reviews

Trail is located on Highway 49/193 off of Highway 80. Stay on 49/193 until you come to the town of Cool.  There is a huge gravel parking lot at the trail head. It cost $5.00 to park there. However I have parked in a parking lot  located by some stores several times and avoided paying. Its usually not very busy and it is within 100 yards of the gravel parking lot.

  • Highest elevation :1611
  • Lowest elevation :1222 ft
  • Distance: 9.5 miles (rough)
  • Average time: 1.5 hours

The trail is not far from Clementine, Forest Hill Divide, and the Connector Trail. If you do the entire loop it is roughly 10 miles. There are several little trails that shoot off in different directions and meet back up to the main trail. Most of the ride is fire road but there is some singletrack. Be careful some routes are off limits to mountain bikes and are for horses and hikers only. The trails are well marked to prevent any confusion. There is an abundance of wildlife and you are almost guaranteed to see some while you are cruising around. Wild turkeys, bobcats, deer, and the occasional mountain lions are found here and if you explore enough of the trails you can come across some ponds and streams. Good scenery the entire ride, great trail for beginners, and a pretty fun ride.