Colestin Trestle Loop
45 Miles
4,600 ft. elev.
min. 32c tire, best on a gravel/”adventure” bike
Spring - Fall
This is one of many possible loops that can be done in the Colestin Valley. Depending on how many miles, how much you want to climb, and whether or not you want to drive to the start there are a lot of options. As long as you throw Trestle Rd. into the mix, it’s going to be good.
As the name implies, this road used to be a rail line used to move timber from the steep slopes of the south side of Mt. Ashland down to the Fruit Growers (Sunkist) mill down in Hilt where trees were turned into wooden crates for transporting fruit. There are some remnants of those facilities in the town of Hilt, and the Fruit Growers Association remains the largest land owner in the valley, continuing its timber harvest operations.
This route is a good jumping off point to begin to explore this side of Mt. Ashland. With a good map, a water filter and plenty of food you can ride for many miles exploring this region. You’ll quickly realize there is a maze of logging roads (many of which aren’t on any map) in surprisingly good condition which little to no traffic on them.
Unfortunately there is not much for services in Hilt. We typically ride from Ashland over and back, or drive to the liquor store and ride from there (making sure to stock up on our way out, they do have snacks too).