Langille Ridge Tr259

Think of Langille Rdg Tr259 as a steroids-optional Juniper Rdg Tr261 alternative.

Although Langille Rdg Tr259 is a favorite with two-legged mountain goats, riders are likely to also see the four-legged variety of mountain goats in the McCoy Peak area.

The toughest climb is between the Rough Tr283 intersection and the summit near Langille Creek, and portions of the the trail include cliff exposure, narrow singletrack, loose rocky surface and some pumice surface.

 

The simplest (and toughest) OAB ride is to start at the FR2809 TH and ride Langille Rdg Tr259 19.5mi OAB to Boundary Tr1.

This involves 8200' of climbing and a 2mi, 2100' ascent through dense forest to Langille Peak.

Note: that FR2809 is poorly maintained and the forest service reports that the FR2809 bridge is washed out.

Yellowjacket Creek may be several feet deep in July and August and dangerously un-fordable in the Spring.

Better OAB options are created by using either FR2810 or FR2900 and starting from Boundary Tr1, then riding out to Langille Peak and back.

 

Loop Option: 5.2mi of FR2900, Boundary Tr1, Langille Rdg Tr259 and Rough Tr283 can be combined into a 12.3mi loop or shuttle ride with 4200' of climbing.

The 2000' road climb is tolerable although a shuttle would be very easy to set up.

Boundary Tr1 includes a 1mi section which ascends 800' (16% grade).

The 1mi ascent just north of Holdaway Butte is 15%, adding to the challenge of this loop option.

The 2mi Rough Tr283 switchbacks descend 2000' through conifer forest, to the FR116 TH, adding some excitement to this relatively short loop ride.

Burley Mountain Hiking: The nearby Cispus Environmental Learning Center features several short hiking loops, with Burley Mountain Tr256 as the main hike.

With most of the terrain moderate for family hikes, Covel Creek Tr228 leads to Covel Creek Falls Tr228A, with a slightly more advanced descent on Angel Falls Loop Tr228B, which passes underneath a Covel Creek waterfall.

Burley Mountain Tr256 ascends at a steady pace through the remnants of early 1900's Cispus Valley forest fires, with black stumps remaining from the old forest. Not drawn, the Burley Mountain Lookout Tr256A leads to the 1934 Burley Mountain Lookout, one of three Gifford Pinchot lookouts still in use.

Covel Creek Tr228 ascends through mixed hardwood and conifer forest along Covel Creek, used by the Cispus Center for nature study.

The Area Map shows a more advanced day-hike, with a CCW loop of Boundary Tr1, Snagtooth Tr4, Quartz Creek Tr5 and French Creek Tr5C, using FR2900 as the TH.