Modoc National Forest · California · Trail 9E02-09

Red Tail Rim Trail

Red Tail Rim Trail is a 19.1 miles trail in Modoc National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Modoc National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end41.3073, -120.8934 · Directions ↗
Other end41.1834, -120.7921 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length19.1 miles
Trail class4, highly developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade0-5 percent
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers9E02-09
ForestModoc National Forest (unit 0509)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

Open Facilities open as weather and road conditions permit; usually early June to late October. · listed none
When parking overnight or for extended periods at trailheads always secure all food, packaging and ice chests in the trunk of your vehicle.  Do not park in front of gates or partially obstruct a fire road.
0 mi
Open Facilities open as weather and road conditions permit; usually early June to late October. · listed none
0.3 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Adin Airport Rx

    8 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Red Tail Rim Trail?

19.1 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Modoc National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Red Tail Rim Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Red Tail Rim Trail start?

The line begins at 41.3073, -120.8934 and ends at 41.1834, -120.7921. The nearest recorded trailhead is Red Tail Rim Trail North Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Red Tail Rim Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Red Tail Rim Trail?

Ash Creek Campground (0.1 mi), Lower Rush Creek Campground (0.2 mi) and Red Tail Rim Trail South Trailhead (0.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Red Tail Rim Trail?

Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Red Tail Rim Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Red Tail Rim Trail?

Modoc National Forest, Forest Service unit 0509. The trail is in California.

Source: Modoc National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Red Tail Rim Trail?

1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Adin Airport Rx at 8 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named RED TAIL RIM TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0509. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.