Cottonwood Trail #8 (Singletrack)

Trail 8 is a very technical dirt bike trail full of advanced rock obstacles, with a constantly rocky surface. The east end starts wide like a two-track, climbing up a steep trail with a light layer of loose rocks. After a mile, the trail then turns off to a singletrack that is easy to miss on the right side of the two-track. The rest of the route is a narrow dirt bike trail going through grassy hillsides, constantly riding over boulders and baby heads. The first half is a semi-steep climb, requiring several moderate rock ledges as it winds up the hill underneath a scenic rock outcropping. The trail tops out above 6,200 feet in elevation, and then switchbacks down the backside of the hill, becoming even more technical. The backside is full of slab rock ledges/drop-offs that are very advanced, often several feet high, blunt rock ledges, and sometimes on the inside corner of a switchback. This is not for the average rider and will be more difficult going up them in the west-to-east direction. There is exposure on the hillside during these technical sections as well. It is non-stop technical obstacles and rocky terrain, especially on the northwestern half. Overall, the trail is very physically demanding. Follow the cairns throughout the whole route, as there are large rock stacks every few hundred feet or so, because it can be hard to see the trail through the tall grass.