Trail Guides
Trail
Mountain Bike
Imnaha
Grizzly Ridge Trail - Imnaha, Oregon
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#Imnaha
#Joseph
#HellsCanyon
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Trail Description

Rugged and scenic. Any trail I describe in the Hells Canyon area usually has those words, and Grizzly Ridge is no exception. While it is not a buffed fast singletrack, nor is it known by anyone as a mountain bike trail, it is a trail that keeps you on top of a ridge over expansive landscape that is well worth the bumping along cow and ATV trail. If it weren't for the ranchers and cattle this trail probably won't exist. It truly is a mix of doubletrack and singletrack after starting as a primitive road on Cayuse Flat. I was surprised the ridge was all rideable, at least out to the point where the Crooked Canyon Trail intersects. From there it starts to disappear and becomes very rough. It does continue along the ridge but I turned around where the track ends on this feature. There is where I also I confirmed that there is a feint trail down Crooked Canyon, although that didn't look rideable. However, if I'm ever down on the Horse Creek Trail it will be good to know I can climb up the mountain to this point and ride out this trail back to Cayuse Flat and the Hat Point Area.

Trail data mapped by Brian Sather on May 10, 2016 · Last update: Jun 23, 2016

Waypoints

Entrance gated — Sign say no motorized on private road.

45.52445, -116.76836

Trailhead — There is no marking, parking, or distinction on this trailhead. A couple old fire rings exist. It starts right after crossing through the opening in the fence.

45.5064, -116.75737

Corral — Trail disappears in the flat here, but picks up on the north end.

45.6165, -116.80351

Trailhead Pumpkin Creek — There is a sign on the tree and the trail veers right off the primitive road.

45.55085, -116.76206

Photos

The author on Grizzley Ridge.A singletrack section. Looking over the west side of the ridge, where the road for Dug Bar winds along the river below.
The road from Cayuse before it turns to ATV.At times the cows and elk provide multiple singletrack options. Here the Crooked Canyon Trail is barely visible to the east.
Here the road becomes very primitive and rolls to the west side of the ridge and a berm reduces it to a narrow ATV trail. The trail becomes much more primitive after this newer looking corral. It is very difficult to follow for a few hundred feet in the flat after the corral.
The ranchers leave a primitive double track, which can be interesting to have some choices. The trail rolls along the ridge, where the grassland is green after rains in the spring. Looking south along the ridge, with the Wallowa Mountains on the top right.