Trail #185 (Part 1)

This 1.6-mile segment of Trail 185 begins at a well-marked entrance off Forest Road 5706, 3 miles up from the Trail 185 Trailhead. It climbs eastward along scenic mountain ridgelines, gaining approximately 600 feet in elevation. The trail starts with a semi-steep section of loose rock but quickly levels into an easy, wide path with minimal obstacles and good visibility. It traverses open grassy hillsides, through a forest of ponderosa pines, with broad mountain views, and ends at Forest Road 5706 to connect with the longer and harder portion of Trail 185. Although logs may be down in the early season, the trail sees enough use that any downed trees will probably get cleared, but watch out for cut logs and branches sticking over the trail. The first portion of Trail 185 is closed to motorized use from October 15 to June 15 to prevent erosion, but the remaining 9 miles of Trail 185 open back up on December 1.