The hike shown here connects some of the most beautiful, best-known, and most easily-accessible trails in the trail system that are accessible directly from the main trailhead off of Gold Basin Road.

The hike begins by climbing quickly from the base area up the Jack's Trail to access Tail Pipe and The Ridge. These trails wind up and down through beautiful rock formations on the edge of the ridge, which provides expansive views over the Gunnison Valley, the town of Gunnison, and the Elk Range beyond. The singletrack through this section is quite rocky and chunky, but all obstacles are easy to overcome.

The loop heads through a dispersed camping area and then up the Becks Tech trail to reach Rocky Ridge, which provides a beautiful lookout over the entire elevated plateau that's home to this incredible trail system.

After an easy walk up the Sea of Sage trail, the rocks return as you descend a series of extensive granite slabs on the Rattlesnake Trail. After some doubletrack road walking on Main Street, you'll finish the descent on the rocky trails of "Notch" and "Backbone" to return to the trailhead.