Sturgeon Trail #180C

This trail is best for making good loops up Silver Star Summit. The trail is doubletrack that can be accessed from the Tarbell Trail about three miles northwest from the Grouse Vista trailhead, or from Silver Star Trail #180 near the summit trail. The beginning is mixed in with the Tarbell Trail and a number of fairly new lumber roads. Look for an unmarked but clear doubletrack on the east while you'd on a section of Tarbell Trail on a bank above one of the roads. The trail heads straight up the ridge along the rocky doubletrack. There are few views for the first half, so it's a bit of a slog. This is somewhat compensated for by the lack of crowds on the main Silver Star Summit approaches. At about the halfway point the trail will enter a small, level clearing with evidence of a camp and fire ring. If you're climbing Sturgeon Rock keep an eye out here for faint doubletrack in the grass on the north side of the clearing, as that is the beginning of the Sturgeon Rock route. Otherwise this is just a good spot for a break. After the clearing the trail is much less steep. You'll get glimpses of views to the east and south through trees, and a few openings to Sturgeon Rock on the north, but nothing spectacular compared to the top of the rock or Silver Star Summit itself. The trail passes a spur that can be taken north of the summit trail or officially ends on Silver Star Trail #180 just south of the summit trail. You're probably summiting if you're here so turn left/north!