more stats
3,907 ft
Distance
68 ft
Climb
-156 ft
Descent
00:09:48
Avg time
-89 ft
Altitude change
7,873 ft
Altitude min
8,031 ft
Altitude max
7,963 ft
Altitude start
7,874 ft
Altitude end
-2.3%
Grade
-16.4%
Grade max
12.2%
Grade min
1,391 ft
Distance climb
2,254 ft
Distance down
177 ft
Distance flat
00:09:48
Avg time

Elusive Trail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Bear Valley
    , California
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 80 in E-Biking
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 100 in Hiking
    • 5 in Gravel Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #97210 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #85898 in E-Biking
    • #232523 in Trail Running
    • #89183 in Hiking
    • #33839 in Gravel Biking
  • State Ranking
    #3,365 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
    • #1,743 in E-Biking
    • #11,473 in Trail Running
    • #5,067 in Hiking
    • #1,819 in Gravel Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Gravel
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Downhill Primary for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Summer
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Year Opened
    1995
  • Land Owner
    USFS

Built in 1995 as an extension to the NORBA National Loop, the trail has been cleaned up in recent years and is very rideable, except for a few small "rock gardens". It is part of large LOOP trail that takes you from Bear Valley, up Koala Access, across Ski Area Access and down Corral Hollow Ridge to this Elusive Trail then down to forest road 7N35 and back to Highway 4, only 1/4 mile west of Bear Valley. A fun loop for intermediate and advanced riders.

This trail potion of the trail is not open to motorcycle and ATV use.

Tags
Rock gardens

Trail Supporters

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 1 rides
  • 7 miles avg distance
All
  • 18 rides
  • Last: Aug 28, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Elusive Trail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Oct 3, 2024 @ 9:31am
Oct 3, 2024
reporter Clear and clean. Fun and fast!
Jul 17, 2023 @ 3:01am
Jul 17, 2023
reporter Top half not raked or logged. Bottom half is cleaned up and ideal.
Oct 12, 2021 @ 7:32am
Oct 12, 2021
reporter This trail is open once again after being logged out and cleaned up. Is is very rideable and makes a fun (mostly) downhill ride from top of BV...
Jun 3, 2021 @ 7:58am
Jun 3, 2021
14 large trees down across trail, blocking trail and making it completely impassable. Bypass by taking Corral Hollow OHV road down to get to Hwy...
Jun 11, 2020 @ 9:49pm
Jun 11, 2020
more »
Status:
on Oct 3, 2024
Dry
Avg: 3.98 (1 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to elusive-trail trailhead (38.479410, -120.063800)

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      Routes with this trail

      more »
      ★ 4.0 • 43 miles • 3,046 ft • 9 •
      A crazy suggestion to ride from Bear Valley to Arnold... Any takers?
      5 miles • 93 ft • 3 • Shuttled •
      Great option from the Top of Bear Valley ski area down to the Adventure Center in town. Obvious and Elusive
      8 miles • 1,430 ft • 6 •
      Rough outline of race course used in the past. Start and finish area is flexible.
      4.0 ★★★★★
      1 Ratings
      5 ★
      4 ★ 100%
      3 ★
      2 ★
      1 ★

      6 Reviews & Comments

      jrottinghuis
      A yellow arrow nailed to a tree is marking each of the three critical turns that new riders found difficult to find. Now it is much easier to follow the loop down to the town.
      GWiz GWiz
      This trail is essentially closed for the season due to so may trees down trees from last winters large wind event. Many of them are large and stacked across the trail making them VERY difficult to cross. This is a huge project to clear and the Bear Valley Trail Stewardship has their eye on it for the 2022 season.
      GWiz GWiz
      Until we get some rain, be warned that a big portion of this trail is deep Moon Dust. Also, about 1/4 mile from the bottom of the trail there is a HUGE log across that has had multiple cuts (none of which are “V” shaped toward the downhill side) and the rounds have jammed themselves in place. It will take a large bar saw to break up these 5 attempts at removal. There IS a rough round about. Really fun trail, just need rain!

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      • By dhtahoe2010TF Pro & contributors
      • #92551 - 2,092 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Elusive Trail located?
      Elusive Trail is located in Bear Valley, California, United States. It is part of the Bear Valley trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 38.47941, -120.0638.
      ▼ How hard is Elusive Trail?
      Elusive Trail is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 2.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Elusive Trail?
      Elusive Trail has 68 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 156 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,873 ft to 8,031 ft.
      ▼ Is Elusive Trail a point to point trail?
      Elusive Trail is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Elusive Trail?
      Elusive Trail is 3,907 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Elusive Trail?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Elusive Trail. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Elusive Trail?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Elusive Trail are:
      • July (2 activities)
      • August (2 activities)
      • September (1 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Elusive Trail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Elusive Trail are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Elusive Trail?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 10 minutes to ride Elusive Trail. The trail is 3,907 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Elusive Trail?
      Elusive Trail is a very popular trail. There have been 167 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 161 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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