The Redmont Trail is two singletrack trail sections on either side of Redmont Creek, which have been added to with non-motorized roads to make a continuous route connecting Salt Creek Summit Sno-park to Papoose Lake near Ferguson Ridge Ski Area. The road sections are mostly rocky roads, but the singletrack is very good and well-maintained. There are several dips, swooping corners, and the scenery is okay throughout the ride. It maintains a fairly consistent elevation along the ridge, which is the real downfall of the trail.
Road 3920 is the main gravel road that parallels the Redmont Trail. Anytime you come to a spur road, you can bail out to the east and eventually connect to this road, which can be taken in either direction back to the parking areas at the north end or Salt Creek Summit at the south end. However, this ride befuddles me as to which direction to take it. You would think after driving all the way up to Salt Creek Summit--one of the highest paved roads in Oregon--you would be up for an awesome flowing descent down to the valley. However, you end up at about the same elevation you started, and most of the downhill sections scrub elevation on roads. If you take the trail from north to south, you can get some good cross country riding but bailing down to the road results in a lot of winding on gravel to get back to the start, so you might as well just take it as an out-and-back. What a waste of elevation!
The map here shows the trail starting from the Salt Creek Summit, just because you may want to just enjoy riding trails there and camping. Then, hopefully you talk someone in you group into picking you up by Fergie on their way back to Joseph, so you can just take Redmont one way as a consolation prize when all other riding has been exhausted. Otherwise, if you're just after the singletrack, you may want to start at the north parking area and ride it out to the end of the second singletrack section that ends about a mile past Redmont Creek.
The trail is well marked, so it should be fairly easy to find and follow. Redmont was once Joseph's main signature mountain bike trail, this is hopefully is going to change if some wilderness regulations can be eased on mountain biking and some more trails continue to be developed in this popular summer recreation area near Wallowa Lake.
Accommodations
Park at the Salt Creek Summit SnoPark or just across the road on the gravel parking lot. Salt Creek Summit has a very large paved parking lot and toilet facilities, along with a warming hut for winter. There is a small pond nearby and several places for primitive camping in the area. The northern parking point is a few miles past the turn-off for Ferguson Ridge Snow Park.
Trail Notes
- 0.0mi Several trails start across the road from the snow park. Go right down the gravel road and immediately look for a gated road to the left that stays alongside the canal.
- 3.1 The road forks and you will take a left around the ridge.
- 3.2 Cross Little Sheep Creek and join a rocky road.
- 3.6 Look for an unmarked trail leaving the road to the left. This is the singletrack Redmont Trail.
- 4.5 Bridge crossing Redmont Creek
- 5.7 After a few berms the trail comes to a road. Turn left on the road.
- 6.0 Singletrack begins again on a trail to the left. This trail is hard to see. It is shortly after a road joins from the left, look for the trail to cut up the bank to the left.
- 7.4 End of the singletrack as the road comes up to a gravel pit opening. Head right and down this road. If traveling from north to south on the Redmont Trail, the singletrack here is difficult to find and not marked so make sure to look for it shortly after the wide gravel opening.
- 8.0 Come to an intersection of 4 roads and take a hard left (alternately you can go right).
- 8.5 Look to take a somewhat hidden road to the right. Look for markings for the trail or blue nordic markers. This road goes near Papoose Lake.
- 9.2 Arrives at the north parking ridge parking for the north end at Rd. 3920 (a.k.a Tucker Rd). This road winds down past Ferguson Ridge Ski Area and into the valley below to connect back to Joseph.
