These great trails may be accessed from the Black Mtn Rd./Mason Dam Rd USFS 1145 and South Shore Phillips Lake Trailhead
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Phillips Lake South and North Shore: Marked with blue diamonds and blue diamonds with bike symbol. Do you prefer singletrack only trails and trails with a beautiful view? Do you like to ride fast, second and third chainring, flowing and non-technical trails—the kind you that make your eyes water from the speed? Do you know people who are just getting into mountain biking and are developing their braking and shifting skills, and endurance? Then the South Shore Phillips Lake Trail is the place to go {green trail: least strenuous and least difficult). The trail is 6.5 miles in length, one way, and only minimal climbing and descending ~ 500 vertical ft. out and back. The North Shore Trail is more technical (blue trail difficulty rating) and includes about 3 miles of road, but makes a nice loop back to the South Shore Trailhead. The South Shore to North Shore and back loop is about 14 miles in length.
Rim Rock Trail: Easily followed due to the blue diamonds and blue diamonds with bike symbol. The Rim Rock Trail is a combination of singletrack and double track and is a green/blue/black rated trail. The first 1.5 miles of trail is a green, gentle climb, smooth singletrack on former double track. Cross the fence (wooden crossing structure) and turn right on the powerline road (basically singletrack, and non-motorized). The trail for the next 0.7 miles is black due to two short climbs and some embedded and loose rock. The trail leaves the powerline as a singletrack and descends to a meadow before a short climb up to another wooden fence crossing. From here the trail follows USFS Rd 300/320, unimproved double track trail closed to motorized use (but being poached heavily by motorized users) and in about 1/2 mile it intersects USFS 600 where you come to a “T”: Black Mountain Super D/MMN singletrack (see below) descends to your right to Phillips Lake South Shore Trail or if you go left, continues to ascend and many options for rides are marked with orange and pink ribbons. Rim Rock Trail continues (west) and descends to the South Shore Trail in about 1.5 miles (blue trail). The trail provides great views of the Elkhorn Range and includes about 1,000 ft of climbing and descending in its 5 mile length (one way). Loop options include continuing on the Rim Rock Trail and riding the South Shore Trail back to the trailhead, or taking one of the Black Mtn Super D/MMN options—all of which descend to the South Shore Trail.
Black Mtn Super D/MMN Trail (MMN): Marked from the South Shore Trail, beginning at about the 3 mile mark, there is a wooden sign “trail”—go left here; if you go right, you will remain on the South Shore Trail. If you follow the pink and orange ribbons there are a multitude of options, including ascending to the 5,900 ft elevation and descending back down to the South Shore Trail at about the 4000 ft elevation. You may access this trail from the Rim Rock Trail (see above) or from the South Shore Trail. This trail is a blue/black rated—very fast and sinuous singletrack, with a few rocks and creek crossings for fun. If you like Super D type trails, you will crave riding this trail…(go to www.oregonsuperd.com for examples). Several options exist for accessing this trail (see trail details and map), but only one is discussed here. Ride the Rim Rock Trail from the South Shore Trailhead until you reach the pink/orange flagged singletrack at about the 3.0 mile mark—MMN intersects the Rim Rock Trail (see description above). If you turn right at the flagging (north and downhill) you enjoy a great singletrack descent to the South Shore Trail—this is the best of the best. If you go left at the pink/orange ribbons, you have multiple options for ascents and descents—all of which return you to this same intersection and descend to the South Shore Trail.