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Catamount Trail Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.5 (63)
  1. Areas
  2. OR
  3. …Willamette Valley
  4. …Sublimity
  5. Silver Falls State Park
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“A road climb to an aggressive cross-country trail in the heart of Silver Falls State Park. ”

Christofer Harris
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Map Key

12.3

Miles

19.7

KM

65%

Singletrack

2,438' 743 m

High

1,771' 540 m

Low

1,391' 424 m

Up

1,348' 411 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

26%

Max Grade (15°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Family Friendly This beautiful trail is fun for riders of all abilities and the aggressive features have go-arounds. Children may find the first mile or so of Catamount Trail to be difficult.

  • Catamount Trail and Newt Loop are two-way multi-use trails. Expect traffic in both directions.
  • Requires a State Park Pass to access ($5/day; $30/year). Can be purchased at one of the day use areas.

Overview

A road climb to an "enhanced" cross-country trail through a beautiful stretch of woods. The Catamount Trail has turns, berms, and rock features that are fun, without being too difficult for average cyclists. This trail opened in early 2016 and has already become a fast favorite.

Need to Know

  • Only Upper Catamount Trail is directional. Newt Loop and Catamount Trail are both multi-directional and see use by bikers, hikers, and runners. Please be aware of your surroundings, and courteous to others.
  • This trail is closed to horses. If you encounter equestrian users, please politely remind them this trail isn't designed for horse travel, and let park officials know as well.
  • The gate at the trailhead is open from May 20 - Nov 1, so shuttling by vehicle is an option. Be aware, however, that Lookout Mountain Road gets rough in places, so all-wheel drive is recommended.
  • Dogs must be on a 6 ft. leash, per park regulations.

Description

From the 214 Trail, head through the gate and begin climbing up Lookout Mountain Road for roughly four miles. There are a few steeper sections along the road, but the total elevation gain is minimal. When you see the sign indicating "Shellburg Falls" to the right, hang a left onto Lost Creek Trail for a very short distance to the top of Upper Catamount Trail.

Upper Catamount Trail is less than a mile, but a great way to start off the ride. It's fast and flowy, with a few rollers and berms thrown in for good measure. It exits onto Catamount Access Road with the entrance to Catamount Trail directly across the road. The first mile of Catamount Trail is the roughest section, with some large rocks and roots to navigate. This section also has a few nice kickers, though all are optional (i.e., there are ride-arounds). Salem Area Trail Alliance (SATA) has done a great job of bridging or rock-bedding the many creek crossings, though a low gear is advisable to make the hill climbs that follow a bit easier.

Over the course of the trail you'll encounter a few trail intersections, but Catamount Trail is easily distinguished as the main trail; just follow the signs and you're sure to stay on track. Catamount Trail technically ends at its junction with Newt Loop, which you can follow in either direction. The majority of riders complete it counter-clockwise, as this provides some additional mileage and a few optional lines that add to the fun. At the end of Newt Loop, turn left and follow 214 Trail a short distance back to the parking area.

Contacts

Local Club: Salem Area Trail Alliance

Land Manager: Oregon State Parks

Shared By:

Christofer Harris with improvements by Kevin Hill
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.5 from 63 votes

#1

in Silver Falls State Park

#235

Overall
  4.5 from 63 votes
5 Star
57%
4 Star
40%
3 Star
3%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Silver Falls State Park

#5

in Oregon

#235

Overall
59 Views Last Month
20,814 Since May 2, 2016
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Photos

A great look into the communal efforts behind trail building.
Aug 31, 2017 near Lyons, OR
Just starting the Catamount trail after the 3.8 mi fire road uphill. Can you tell she's excited??!
Aug 8, 2020 near Lyons, OR
Catamount Backside!
Sep 7, 2020 near Lyons, OR
Find the Flow!
Oct 12, 2017 near Lyons, OR
Rock Up & Over (2 of 3 routes you can choose from)
Apr 15, 2018 near Lyons, OR
3 ft kicker option for the ambitious on the left, or a safety outlet on the right, about 0.5 miles from top.
Aug 2, 2016 near Lyons, OR

4 Comments

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Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 81 days ago
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Check-Ins

Jul 24, 2024
Julie Fagan
Nice trail, nicely maintained. We started at the south falls parking lot. 16.9mi — 2h 30m
Jul 31, 2023
Jason Van Horn
tried a longer route starting from the tree climbing area and get more singletrack and less dirt road time 15.2mi — 2h 07m
Jul 3, 2023
Rodney Pierson
12h 47m
Aug 20, 2022
Michael Crites
Highest climb to fun ratio outside of Bend. Beautiful scenery highly recommend it. 8mi — 2h 30m
Jul 5, 2021
Rick Chandler
Jun 28, 2021
Eric Grove
Catamount backside trail closed due to fire 11mi
Jul 24, 2020
David Howard
First time 6.9mi — 1h 36m
Feb 19, 2020
Rex Dodge

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