Garnet Mountain

One of the best downhills in the county, albeit a little short. This is a National Recreation Trail and as a result is well maintained. It is surprisingly unpopular with hikers compared to Storm Castle Peak across the street. It can be ridden as a quick, steep, out and back; or a longer dirt road/two track climb with a single track descent. All in all the trail is quite smooth as it wraps around the flanks of Garnet Mt with a few isolated technical spots to keep you honest. The crux of the trail is its incessant sidehilling which will require focus and may intimidate the timid intermediate rider. The top half mile is steep, rocky and loose double track but is worth the effort for the views from the lookout alone, not to mention it is actually a pretty fun descent too.

Access Info

Main trailhead is about 2 miles up the Storm Castle Rd on the left. Access to Garnet Mt trail is across road and over bridge. For the longer, more gentle approach ride or drive several more miles up Storm Castle Rd to the Rat Lake Rd. Follow this road around Rat Lake and continue uphill to the top of Garnet Mt making note of the singletrack coming in from your left about a half mile from the top. This will be your descent route and will bring you back to the aforementioned trailhead.