Oregon · Trail 854

Ridge Rider - Cole Loop

Ridge Rider - Cole Loop is a 23.2-mile trail in Ochoco National Forest, Oregon. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Ochoco 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 end44.4483° N, 121.1028° W · Directions ↗
Other end44.4483° N, 121.1028° W · 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

Length23.2 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade5-8 percent
Typical tread width12-18 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers854
ForestOchoco National Forest (unit 0607)
StatesOregon
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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Ridge Rider - Cole Loop30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.98 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.66 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.58 inches of precipitationApril: 0.71 inches of precipitationMay: 1.20 inches of precipitationJune: 0.64 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.40 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.46 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.37 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.68 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.81 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.97 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 34.8°F averageFebruary: 36.6°F averageMarch: 41.3°F averageApril: 45.5°F averageMay: 53.4°F averageJune: 60.0°F averageJuly: 68.0°F averageAugust: 66.8°F averageSeptember: 59.6°F averageOctober: 48.6°F averageNovember: 39.1°F averageDecember: 32.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Redmond Roberts Fld, 11 miles from the trail midpoint at 3,043 feet, station USW00024230 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 8 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
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

Skull Hollow Trailhead
No season published
There is a 14 day stay limit on all National Grassland and US Forest Service land including but not limited to campgrounds and other developed facilities. Additionally, the general area outside Skull Hollow campground is CLOSED to camping and fires within a ¼ mile of the road from the junction of FS 5710 and Lone Pine Road to the junction of FS 5710 and FS 5720.
under 0.1 mi
Cyrus Trailhead
No season published
under 0.1 mi
Scales Corral Trailhead
No season published
under 0.1 mi
Trail Crossing Corrals Trailhead
No season published
There is a 14 day stay limit on all National Grassland and US Forest Service land including but not limited to campgrounds and other developed facilities.
0.1 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.

Trails nearby

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
    Newberry Piles 2026 Rx

    27 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Tule Rx

    37 mi from the trail midpoint · 300 acres

  • Prescribed
    Triple Butte Rx

    45 mi from the trail midpoint · 40 acres

  • Prescribed
    Slow Dxp/Lemiti Piles Rx - West

    49 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

Guidebooks for Oregon

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington
    Andy Selters, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Oregon's Ancient Forests
    Chandra LeGue, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking Oregon
    Douglas Lorain, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best dog hikes Oregon
    FalconGuides (Publisher), 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best hikes near Portland, Oregon
    Fred Barstad, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

The Forest Service records 23.2 miles under this name in Ochoco National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop start?

The line begins at 44.4483° N, 121.1028° W and ends at 44.4483° N, 121.1028° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Skull Hollow Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop 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 Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

Skull Hollow Campground (0.1 mi), Henderson Flat Staging Area (0.4 mi) and Haystack Campground (East Shore) (3.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 5 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

The typical grade is 5-8 percent. The typical tread is 12-18 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

Ochoco National Forest, Forest Service unit 0607. The trail is in Oregon.

Source: Ochoco National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Ridge Rider - Cole Loop?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Newberry Piles 2026 Rx at 27 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Ridge Rider - Cole Loop in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0607. 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.