arnold rim trail

The Greater Arnold Area is a mecca for recreation all four seasons of the year. The Arnold Rim Trail connects not only to Nature but to the community of Arnold, White Pines lake, Big Trees State Park & the Historical Town Dorrington. The trails are well kept and substantially user friendly. Trails heads can be found in numerous locations. Parking is normally on the edge of private properties. These trails are within Stanislaus National Forest Boundaries. The forest is the back yard to wild life. Maps can be found at Sierra Nevada Adventure Company - with stores in Sonora, Murphys and Arnold. The local ranger stations also have maps available for visitors. The best hike I found on the trail is the one that takes you to the what locals cal the top of the world. It's about a 45 minute walk out to a bluff that sports views in all four directs. Great for a romantic walk, family friends or with the dogs. Breath taking and inspiring.

The Arnold Rim Trail is scenic, offering a variety of views from summit vistas to waterfalls and river drainages. It offers an alternative to nearby Big Trees State Park with a much different environment. The trail ranges from easy to fairly challenging, and is long enough to satisfy pretty much every day hiker.There are places where it is difficult to find the correct trail among the many criss-crossing trail alternatives. Signage could be improved.

Beautiful Forrest trails and a stellar view. Get a map of the area at the ranger station before heading out.

We would have taken this a lot further but encountered a very large tree across the trail so we turned around. It is well-kept though and interesting views -- peaceful in the trees.

great view of White Pines lake and close to logging museum, make sure to wear good shoes for a long hike

My friend and I parked at the Arnold Logging museum to begin the hike. We hiked for nearly an hour and then turned around. We were pleased that the hike was clearly marked and was in good shape. The beauty was awesome. We were surprised at the amount of locals that had not hiked this trail. It's a local treasure. Usually when we hike up there, we spend the money to go into Calaveras Big trees. Now that we discovered this place, we don't need to spend the money unless we want to. No cost here.... Can't wait to get back there...

This was the first time we hiked the Arnold Rim Trail- or ART as it is called. From Arnold, take Blagen Road toward White Pines Lake. Road signs direct you to the ART parking area near the Logging Museum. Turn right at the big yellow arrow, then park. The Trail head is clearly marked. A large map is displayed. The first mile is paved for wheelchair access, but it is rather steep to push or ride a wheelchair.We hiked from marker 1 at the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum near White Pines Lake in White Pines (not Arnold) and took the turn off past marker 11 to the San Antonio Falls Overlook, a distance of 4.3 miles each way. It took us 2 hours each way. Allow time at the Overlook- it is breathtaking! We hiked on Sunday of Veteren’s Day weekend and only passed 2 groups of hikers and 3 groups of mountain bikers. We almost had the trail all to ourselves, even on the 3-day weekend.What to know if you go:- The ART is clearly marked with numbered posts with directional arrows.- Wear bug spray, even on your face. There were many gnats buzzing about, and it was tiresome swatting at them.- Portions of the trail are rather steep. As I recall, the sections between marker 11 and 6 on the return trip had the steepest grade. Strenuous but doable.- Bring plenty of water for yourself and your dog.- If you are going to be on the trail after dusk, bring a flashlight. On occasion, tree roots stick up along the trail.- There are NO potties along the trail. - This portion was about 80% in the shade.- You can find information and download a map at www.arnoldrimtrail.org- White Pines Lake is also worth a visit. The lake is great for swimming, picnics, and lounging on the sandy shore. However, new regulations PROHIBIT DOGS.

Don't be put off by the length of this trail, you can join it in a number of areas and only hike as much as you want and choose areas that are either easier or more difficult to hike. We hiked about 8 miles round trip starting in Arnold near a housing development and went out to the lake and back. There are secondary trails that connect up with the main trail. You can get a decent map of the trail and it's connections at the Visitors Center (the people are very helpful) in Arnold or at the Logging Museum down by the lake. There are good markers on the trail and it's well maintained.

ART hike from Avery Sheep Ranch Road marker 40 to the Logging Museum marker 1. I am a 57 yr. old male in fair shape. I hiked at a steady but not aggressive pace. The total hike time was 4:48 with 22 min of break time (4:26 net time). This is a very well-marked trail. The vistas were hindered by smoke from the Rim Fire but I imagine that they would be awesome on a clear day. The tip of the day would be to make sure that you wear an insect head net. I did not, and constantly shooing the gnats with my map was very annoying. I crossed paths with one hiker who was wearing one and he said it worked great. I will not hike without one in my pack from now on. A good walking stick is also recommended. I will try this hike again going the opposite direction on a clear day to get a different perspective and better view of the vistas. The trail is very clean and quiet. The only people I saw were 2 motor cycle riders where the trail joins a forest road, one mountain biker and only one hiker. I hiked with my dog and we only came across water for him at Cowell Creek between markers 26 and 30 so be sure to bring extra water if you hike with a dog. The following times are from marker 40 at Avery Sheep Ranch Rd to the markers on the ART map. Marker 37-15min, 30-50min, 26-1:09, 19-1:58, 13-2:29, 8-3:29, 7-3:49, 2-4:32, 1-4:48.

Starting from the Logging Museum, the trail is paved for about the first mile. From there it is a rollercoaster ride for the next two - three miles through single track forest. The side trail at #11 marker will take you to the view of the Falls. It's a in/out back to the Rim Trail. To see the falls head to the right side of the rocky crag. Back on the Rim Trail, the trail becomes dusty and loose. The switchbacks are steep and difficult to climb on a mountain bike. Unless you have the legs, you'll be walking up most of it and it is about 1/2 mile up. After the switch back, the trail turns rocky - loose rock so you'll be using your skills to ride around and over them. as you get to the top it gets just as rocky so we stopped at the Top of the World. If you continued down, you'll have to climb back up so we figure we will ride the other half coming from the other direction. This is not an easy mountain biking trail After a 1/2 mile from the where the paved trail ends, it turns into a single track through the forest. the ride up to the top of the world is about 5-1/2 miles. the trail is for strong intermediate or advanced riders - definitely not a beginner ride - as the single track is rocky, narrow at places and the roller coasters will require balance. if you're looking for a casual ride, ride Lake Alpine or stop by the ranger station and ask for a casual paved ride. Bring plenty of water and food. Bring a map. The trail is well marked but you will be really out there so be prepared. Expect 3 hours to ride to the Top of the World and back. We stopped a few minutes at the top for lunch. Bring Goo/Chews if you are riding in warm months as it is a tough ride. Need to replenish.

Love this trail. Have been hiking on it many times starting from White Pines. Have had issues navigating it though. Its difficult to decide which turns to take to find say, San Antonio Falls. Plan on biking it next from the Sheep Ranch Road side.

What a wonderful resource this is! Currently, there are 17+ miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horse riding. Eventually, there will be a 35 mile loop. You can hike, bike, or ride to your hearts content through pristine unspoiled forest with beautiful views. There are several places to access the trail, but the easiest is at the White Pines Logging Museum parking lot. Here is a link to the website: http://arnoldrimtrail.org/ . There, you will find all the information you need to take advantage of this beautiful trail system, including maps.