Four Star Loop - ~17 miles, difficult

This is probably the ultimate loop in the park, it covers all the best areas (6 trails in all) and is very diverse. It is also long and difficult. It is possible to do this in a day hike if you are in good shape and leave yourself the whole day to do it. Otherwise camp somewhere along the way. The loop starts from the North Trailhead with the first four star section of the blue trail. Then turn off on the orange connector and take the red bike trail about a mile up the mountain top trail. The mountain top trail is hard to find from this side and is unmarked. Where the red trail reaches to top of the ridge and moves over to the other side, cut off into the woods on your left. Stay right on the ridge and soon the trail will become evident. In a couple miles the green trail will come in from the west side of the mountain, take the green trail down, across the red bike trail, and down the mountain side to the yellow trail. From here you will follow the yellow trail north for about 2.5 miles to the intersection with the yellow/white connector. Take this back up the mountain to the first section of the white trail. Follow the white trail north back to the North Trailhead.

 Blue/White Loop - 6 miles, moderate - difficult

This is a nice day hike including some of the best of the previous loop. The focus of this trail is on mountains, going up and down them. The loop starts from the North Trailhead with the first section of the blue trail. Then turn off on the orange connector and take this back up the mountain to the first section of the white trail. Follow the white trail north back to the North Trailhead.

 Mountain Top/Peavine Falls Loop - 6 miles, easy - moderate

Another day hike going on top of the mountain and then back to the waterfall. On this trail you get a good feel of what the mountain ridge is like. The loop starts from the Peavine Road terminus of the red bike trail. Climb up to the mountain top trail, and follow it to its end at the red bike trail. Follow the red bike trial just a short distance north to the crossover of the white trail. Take the white trail back to Peavine Falls. From here you have to take the dirt road a quarter mile back to your car, it is easy.

 Yellow/Orange Foothills Loop - 6 miles, moderate

A nice loop to get a feel for the foothills. Start at the picnic area parking lot just south of the park office, follow section 1 of the yellow trail all the way to the red bike trail. Take the bike trail a few hundred yards west and then turn back south on the orange trail. Take this all the way back to the gravel road, or modify the route as you see fit (take the green, yellow, or wildlife center trails back to the road).

 Yellow/White Foothills Loop - 3 miles, easy

This is a short easy little loop if you have an extra hour or two to spend. Start at the North Trailhead with the white trail. Follow the white trail up and down over the foothills to a nice little ravine. In the ravine turn off on the yellow trail and follow it back to the trailhead.

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Last Updated: April 2003

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