Mammoth at a Glance

Peninsula entry/exit has changed with the Lyman Blvd overpass construction on the north end. A boulder bridge just south of the new overpass, off the gravel corridor can be used to walk across the new drainage, or a big step-across in the same vicinity. The old connection with Washing Machine is now active traffic on Lyman Blvd - it is not advocated - cross at your own risk.

Peninsula is a one way trail running CCW (stay right), with exception to the revised entry/exit. The trail is intermediate overall, but requires a little more rider skill at the north end where it is fairly steep; crossing the two wooden bridges going in and coming out does look a little intimidating, but they are actually a pretty easy up and across. Some climbing coupled with cruiser descents.

Ridge and Meadow form a figure-of-8 loop running from McKnight Rd to the gravel corridor at the N Costco loop start. The trails are one-way, but run opposite. Stay left on Ridge (CW), and stay right on Meadow (CCW). The two trails cross at the top of Ridge. Ridge has some exhilarating compressions, with steady climbing on the up trail, and exciting descents on the down. You'll find open meadow, combined with lots of red cedar on Meadow. You could make the turn where the trails cross to skip the other, but most ride the two trails as a continuous loop. From the downhill end of Meadow, cross the gravel to start N Costco, or head north up the gravel corridor about 100 yards to get on the return leg of  Meadow to the left, starting along a small ravine.

Skull is primarily a one-way trail running CCW (stay right), though there are significant sections where the trail converges into a two-way trail. From the Mammoth Central parking area on McKnight Rd, follow the gravel farmer access westward a very short distance to the trail start to the left; it is just past some stream drainage which can look like it might be the trail start.

Skull has the most concentrated areas of roots and rocks at Mammoth. The overall trail is intermediate, though you may find some of the root/rock spots to be more difficult, with a quick off-the-bike and walk past if you want. The more difficult spots are well spaced and make for great skills development. After crossing the bridge and the very rooted & steep up, the trail curves immediately left and splits; the trail furthest left is the return trail, so stay right of it.  At the west extent of Skull you'll find a barricade where you cul-da-sac back around and then down the slope to some fairly narrow trail, crossing the creek and up the other side. A short distance down the trail, look for a left turn that goes straight down the slope and across a bridge into a sweeping up & left; if you miss the turn, you'll end up on gravel. The trail continues back to the bridge and two-way trail. Look for the trail splits to the right on the return back to the trailhead.

Both trails are one-way CCW (stay right), though the very north section of SW McKnight between the open field and the gravel corridor turns into two-way. The loop can be started from the south end at the McKnight Park picnic shelter parking off Pioneer Trail, or from the north at the Central Mammoth parking pullout on McKnight Rd. 

Navigation of Shelter is a bit complicated due to multiple crossings of the gravel corridor and similar, and also by other intersecting trails. Once north of the tracks, SW McKnight is pretty easy to stay on-trail. 

Shelter - SW McKnight Lake (south end to north end)

Shelter begins just NNW of the picnic shelter across the asphalt doubletrack. You'll see the single-track heading off to the north just inside the tree line. It goes a pretty short distance and drops to gravel right above a gravel intersection. Go left and across the gravel intersection to single-track that goes sharply up and north. At the top of the up, the trail arcs right to a really fun compression. Shelter eventually gets to a steady climb and brings the trail parallel to the tracks. If you see/hear an active train, wait on the trail above the tracks before riding down the steep embankment to the tracks. Cross the double tracks when safe and ride left, parallel to the RR grade for about 150 ft to the single-track trail to the right. There may be parked RR cars at the crossing that you'll have to get around. DO NOT CROSS BETWEEN CARS!

SW McKnight trail begins here, starting roughly parallel to the tracks. If you like a technical challenge, stay to the right after regaining the trail from the RR tracks and ride S Costco. It comes right back to where you started it. SW McKnight crosses a well worn foot path (white dotted line in map) that connects Upper Lake Grace and McKnight Lake, and it crosses over the tracks to get back over to continue on Shelter. Going past the foot path, SW McKnight twists and rolls , eventually coming out of the woods between the gravel corridor and an open field. This is the short, two-way section up to the gravel connector to McKnight Rd and the Central Mammoth parking area.

SW McKnight Lake - Shelter (north end to south end)

From the north end of SW McKnight, start down the two-way trail. Past the open field, the two-way trail curls right and quickly splits, with the return trail to the right on a farmer access double-track. Watch for the single-track exiting off to the left of the farmer access. The return trail back to the RR tracks is fairly short. After dropping down to the tracks, follow left along the RR grade about 25 ft to the well worn foot path (dotted white line on map) and cross the tracks there to Shelter. Down the short path from the tracks, go straight across the gravel to the single-track on the other side that makes a sharp right. Stay to the left of the gravel, which will take you through a sharp down, up and S-curve to another gravel crossing. Follow single-track down, over the stream and a short climb. At the end, Shelter pops up onto gravel - go left on gravel until you see the paved trail downhill to the left. Head up the  paved trail to the picnic shelter.