Description

Combining the Cedar Springs Trail and the 15-Mile Trail together creates a logical loop along opposite sides of 15-Mile Creek.

What’s less logical is the elevation profile: in order to access the trails, you begin at the high point of the ride and descend down the stream, before turning around and grinding back up to your car.

While this is never ideal for a mountain bike ride, most people who’ve ridden this loop still rave about it! The singletrack descent into the ravine "a perfect medley of rock, root, needle-pack, volcanic moondust, and black gold,” according to local mountain biker [Chris Daniels](https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hood-report-seeking-solitude-on-cedar-creek-and-15-mile/).

According to Daniels, the final section of the descent gets much rockier, over pumice and baby head rocks. The climb back out on the 15-Mile Trail begins mellow and approachable, but gets absurdly steep in a hurry! "Shortly after the mellow grade ascent, we were met with long stretches of hillside hike-a-bike, punctuated by more outcroppings of rock where we would catch our breath and rest our limbs,” writes Daniels. This ride is located in a network known as the 44 Trails, which is higher in the mountains and more remote than most of the other trails in Hood River.

Consequently, these trails generally open later in the summer, as it takes the snow longer to melt, and it’s also common for downed trees and other winter damage to further delay trail opening.

But if you’re willing to brave the brutal climb back up to your car, you’ll get to enjoy a true backcountry mountain biking gem! Source: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hood-report-seeking-solitude-on-cedar-creek-and-15-mile/