Arnold, CA….Dear Arnold Rim Trail Cyclists, Equestrians, Hikers, and Runners. A Busy June is Ahead…Volunteer Trail Building Morning Saturday, June 15th. Meet at the USFS Office in Hathaway Pines and help maintain our wonderful trail system. See details below.. Guided Cougar Rock Sunset/Full Moon Hike Saturday, June 15th. While the May sunset hike was canceled due to rain, the weather looks good for June. See details below. Temporary Closure of the Arnold Rim Trail soon – dates to be determined.

The entire Arnold Rim Trail is located on Forest Service land except for a quarter mile section that runs through land owned by Mill Woods HOA. Mill Woods has received a grant to reduce the fuel load and thin the forest on their land that the Arnold Rim Trail runs through. Sometime beginning in the later part of June, the Arnold Rim Trail will be closed for three weeks between the end of the paved section of the Arnold Rim Trail that starts at the Logging Museum, and the intersection of the Arnold Rim Trail and the side trail that leads to Oak Circle Cedar Center. This closure is between posts 2 and 5 on the Arnold Rim Trail map. Download any of these three maps to see these post locations. This fuel reduction program is a part of an overall integrated program to create a fuel break between the surrounding forest and the homeowners associations in Arnold. The Arnold Rim Trail Association deeply appreciates the ongoing cooperation that we have received from Mill Woods in allowing the Arnold Rim Trail to proceed through their property. Thank you for your cooperation with this closure.

Warm regards,

Arnold Rim Trail Association
info@arnoldrimtrail.org

2018 Volunteer Trail Building Mornings, third Saturday of each month from May through October: May 18, June 15, July 20, Aug 17, Sept 21, and Oct 19.

All trail buildling mornings follow this pattern: Please meet at the Forest Service Ranger Station in Hathaway Pines at 8:30 am. After a brief safety orientation by Jeffery Hilson, our Stanislaus Forest Service Trail Manager, we will car pool to the section of trail we will work that day. Since it often gets warm as the morning progresses, please bring layers, gloves, hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, and water. Long pants are suggested as we encounter poison oak occasionally. If you have a favorite garden tool like loppers, bring those, but we will have tools for everyone. Folks from eight to eighty-eight are invited; children should have adult supervision. We wrap up by 11:30am, sometimes a little earlier. If you have another obligation that day, feel free to depart sooner as needed.

2019 Guided Sunset Hikes to Cougar Rock, scheduled near or on the date of full moon: May 18, June 15, July 14, Aug 11, Sept 13, Oct 12

Watch the sunset from the top of Cougar Rock on this intermediate hike led by members of the Arnold Rim Trail Association. Distance is about 4 miles total, with 900 feet of elevation gain. If you haven’t done one of these hikes, you owe it to yourself to join the fun. They are scheduled to be near the day of the full moon each month, and they are special!

IMPORTANT NOTES:
1) This is an intermediate level hike with 900 feet of elevation gain, the equivalent of a ninety story building. We take plenty of time with frequent stops. That said, it is not a hike for beginners. Please assess your level of conditioning. If you would struggle with a ninety story building, even with stops, please take a few weeks of regular training to make yourself ready. It’ll be worth the investment!

2) If this is your first time driving to the parking area, please do not approach on Valley View Drive from Avery Sheep Ranch Road. Instead approach by starting in Arnold and turning off Highway 4 onto Lakemont Drive, followed by a quick left turn onto Valley View Drive. More travel instructions are below.

3) Bring a headlamp or flashlight, bug repellent, a snack, water, and layers.

No sign-up needed, hike proceeds even if cloudy, but rain cancels. (And if the weather has been wet, please see caution below about road condition on the half mile dirt portion of Valley View Drive.) Bring layers, snack, water, bug repellant and flashlight as return hike is in the dark. If you sometimes use walking sticks, please bring them because about a quarter of a mile of the return downhill hike is rutted.

Please arrive at the parking lot at least fifteen minutes before departure time for introductions (this hike attracts wonderful folks) and a brief orientation by the hike leader, as departure times are prompt:
May 18th, Saturday, arrive by 6:15pm, depart promptly at 6:30pm
June 15th, Saturday, arrive by 6:30pm, hike departs promptly at 6:45pm
July 14th, Sunday, arrive by 6:30, hike departs promptly at 6:45pm
Aug 11th, Sunday, arrive by 6:00pm, hike departs promptly at 6:15pm
Sept 13th, Friday, arrive by 5:15pm, hike departs promptly at 5:30pm
Oct 12th, Saturday, arrive by 4:30pm, hike departs promptly at 4:45pm
(Return to vehicles about three hours after departing.)

The parking area is at the intersection of Valley View Drive and 5N95Y. Drive 1.50 miles on Valley View Drive from the intersection of Lakemont Drive and Valley View Drive in Arnold. The first mile of Valley View Drive is paved, and the last 0.45 miles is dirt. Pay close attention to stay on the paved section of Valley View Drive and not get off on one of the side streets, because Valley View Drive curves around quite a bit during that first mile while it is paved. Please note there is no sign announcing that you have arrived at the parking area at the intersection of Valley View Drive with 5N95Y, but you will see the dirt road 5N95Y coming in from the right and also the parking area with picnic tables at that location.

Caution in wet weather: The last half mile of Valley View Drive is dirt and can be very slippery and muddy when wet, due to the clay nature of the soil. In fact, when slick and wet, it can be difficult for two-wheel-drive vehicles to climb back up the hill from the trailhead to the paved section of Valley View Drive after the hike, a hill that presents no difficulty whatsoever in dry weather.

Here’s a link to Google Maps that shows the drive from the intersection of Lakemont Drive and Valley View Drive in Arnold to the intersection of Valley View Drive and Forest Rte 5N95Y.

The GPS coordinates of the parking area:
North 38 degrees 13.171, West 120 degrees 22.707

Questions? Email info@arnoldrimtrail.org. Pictures of the sunset hikes are often posted to the ARTA facebook page. Navigate to “Arnold Rim Trail Association” in your Facebook search field.