Shoshone Historic Loop Trail

The Shoshone Historic Loop Trail is a 3-mile trailawith additional spursathat circles the rocky landscape surrounding the small eastern California town of Shoshone. Beginning at a wide dirt pullout and parking area immediately south of the Charles Brown Market and town post office, the path heads up a dirt road to historic Dublin Gulch, a collection of miners' cabins constructed right into the stone beside a dry wash. From the west end of the wash, a well-marked track continues up the wash. The trail is soon marked by tall white poles. At just over 1.25 miles, a white pole marks a right turn on a small singletrack that climbs onto the stone bluffs to the north. Surrounded by vast mountains with visible jagged layers of copper, crimson, and rust coloring, the second half of the trail traces hard-packed dirt as it slopes back down toward the green oasis of the town. Cairns mark the route, which falls into a somewhat confusingly uniform wash before emerging across the brush and descending into town near the school buildings. An optional spur here gives hikers the opportunity to head north on Old State Highway, passing the schools and coming to the Shoshone Spring. A spur to the spring will add about slightly less than a half-mile to the total distance. From here, retrace Old State Highway south as it enters the center of town. Hikers may also opt to cross Highway 127 and return to the center of Shoshone via the Wetland Birding Trails. There are no amenities and no shade along the Shoshone Historic Loop after entering the wash. All amenities are located at businesses in town. While hiking the Shoshone Historic Loop in a counterclockwise direction is optional, the path becomes confusing in the upper wash, so taking it in a clockwise direction will make route finding much easier. While in town, a stop at the free Shoshone Museum is definitely worth it and highly recommended.