West Side Railroad Trail to the Tuolumne North Fork is a 9.9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Tuolumne, California that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from January until June. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
hiking
horseback riding
mountain biking
nature trips
trail running
walking
rails trails
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
old growth
over grown
This is a perfect hike geared towards anyone in any skill level. You casually stroll along a flat surface winding around the mountainside wandering the same trail that years ago had rails used for logging until the trail became to narrow for a train. Most of the rails are pulled up so even biking is possible. Keep in mind there are occasional ruts though. Butterflies and picturesque views afford anyone a good time. You can have dogs on the trail with you.
It's a pretty boring route, the canyon is beautiful at the beginning, but then nothing happens. River is from a distance, and there isn't much shade.
This is a delightful trail on a cool Spring day. It’s easy walking and the trail is wide. The views of the Tuolumne River gorge are wonderful and the wildflowers are numerous. A warning: The trail’s entrance is a bit hard to find.
This trail is near level with little grade. It is an out and back trail, unless two or more people will be hiking together. In this case a vehicle can be left at the far end for an easy return to the trailhead.
Easy and flat trail with beautiful views. Our dog loves it too. I can't wait to see the wildflowers in spring.
I enjoyed the fact that there were markers along the way telling you the names of some trees. Also how far you have gone and some history of the rails. My dog enjoyed it as well.
Wonderful hiking trail! Great trail markers and educational signs. Picnic tables and benches along the way. Awesome views. A trail for all ages to enjoy.
Love it on my bike!
Some nice views and very well marked trail but the trail got a little boring after awhile. It is very flat and anyone in reasonably good shape can do it. The trail ends abruptly with no major payout at the end which was a bummer. There are also lots of ticks so bug spray is a must and be carried you bring your furry friends.
Good place with a pretty view of the canyon. I use this trail to run for it's pretty flat and not super busy. Easy to find and always has parking.
Very cool hidden gem. I went at 7:15 am on a very hot June day with my 2 year old Pit. We did 3.5 miles round trip. Very cool to walk along the old railroad tracks. Nice picnic tables along the way.
Easily found trail and really doable for all ages. My 11 year old and I did just about 3 miles in and then back. Positives - mild terrain, a couple of shaded picnic benches along the way, pretty views of mountains and mostly clear trail. Not so positive - not much shade on a hot day (best in cooler weather - we baked as there wasn't much shade at all), other than the mountains it's a little boring this time of year (probably much prettier in early spring), fairly overgrown just after 3 miles in (was worried about snakes this time of year so we turned back - saw one rattlesnake about 2 miles in, it was on its way into the brush...). Might do it again in cooler weather since it's not far. Several others out there today but definitely not crowded.
Beautiful trail, did a little over two miles in then back with family. Mostly flat, easy trail. Awesome views overlooking river, lots of flowers to see and picnic benches along the way to enjoy scenic spots.
Loved it!! Lived here for many years and never knew about this trail!! Was awesome and the flowers and scenery are beautiful!!
Great views and the wildflowers were amazing. Will be back :)
Was looking for a trail do you post op. Very flat but with amazing views. Picnic tables dotted throughout the trail. Even posts about the history. Today we charted 13 different wild flowers that were in bloom. The bush lupine is amazing right now. Definitely keeping this as I go to.
Stunning scenery, cool old railroad tracks...very pup-friendly trail!!
Started out at 10:00 am this morning and hiked to mile marker 6/1. We crossed a couple of streams along the way and saw many wildflowers in bloom. On our last mile back we did come across a 4ft rattlesnake on the trail. He was not aggressive nor did he "rattle" but do be aware they are around.
Great trail for any age
Beautiful scenery of wild flowers
And close to home
One of my favorite trails. Super easy trail and amazing views!
Nice easy trail
Easy to find and easy to ride. Trail head is well marked with a big, rustic sign. The physical start is at the junction of Mira Monte and Buchanan roads.
Just poke in 19321 Mira Monte Road in your GPS. It starts out more like a ditch then after 50 yards or so, turns into the trail one would expect.
As other reviewers stated, first half is good enough for anyone and includes informative signs including some well placed, shaded, picnic benches overlooking the canyon below. After that, it becomes more like a single track with rocks and overgrowth.
At mile 4.5, when you reach what looks impassable, walk and follow the path then continue for a short distance to the end where you should find an old turnstile. That's the rail bed and trail end.
It's simply amazing how the old timers carved out the railways into the sides of these extremely steep, near impassable mountains.
Mountain Biked on Aug. 3, 2016. Overall was a fun trail. Very convenient parking and easy to find trail head. The trail was nice and smoothe with minor to no technicalities to figure out. Well kept trail for about the first half, then gets very overgrown - shoulder high at some parts. Few minor scratches on hands and shins that gloves / long sleeves and longer socks could have prevented. There's a point where the trail is so overgrown that it becomes unrideable. If you don't see what I'm talking about, the thorny blackberry bushes will tell you real quick. The downhill is fun - can go pretty quickly and whip through the brush. The uphill is such a low grade you can hardly tell you're going uphill. I'll definitely do it again, but next time will be a bit more covered up and will definitely stop *before* the blackberry bushes, not in them.
The hubby and I took off allowing ourselves 1.5 hours to get as far as we could at a fast walk. We made it to the 3280 point on the map, nearly 4.5 miles. Turned around and walked/jogged back to the car. The trail is easy terrain, tons of beautiful views and wildflowers all along the way. At about the 2.5 mile mark, the path is narrow and very overgrown. Wear long pants and good shoes (my gym shoes were full of foxtails). We will definitely do it again, next time allowing us more time to make it to the river.
First off the trail is not on Mira Monte Rd. Stay on Buchanan and the trail starts in the ditch. There are stairs with railing to insure it's the trail. I went on this trail with my parents and small child. I chose this trail because of the "easy" description and wheelchair friendly. My parents enjoyed the small incline. I thought it was a great trail for strollers, but be sure to bring the better stroller. There are some rougher areas. The scenery was beautiful. You have the hills and the river insight. I also enjoyed the old railroad along the trail. I highly recommend this trail.
My mom, dad, and I love this trail. It is very fun and peaceful, and is one of our favorites for exploring plants and wildlife. I highly recommend families to take their little one's to explore what this trail has to offer and to instill in them a love of nature. In town, there is also a nice cafe with excellent coffee and snacks.
Easy out and back trail with a very slight grade and signs along the way to inform you of the history of the local timber business. Decent views, but nothing spectacular. Occasional shade, but not a ton. Worth it if you really want to get out on a trail near Tuolumne, but not worth driving any distance to get too. You can take dogs and overall the trail is smooth an flat, so that's a plus for some.
Fun trail for an afternoon of moseying. This out and back trail begins downhill and returns uphill. It runs with the old railroad tracks, so the grade is an easy 2-3% but you can bomb down the trail if you want to get some speed and the return trip doesn't feel like uphill at all. I didn't see any other mountain bikers, but there were some hikers out. Most dogs are off leash, but under voice control. I went about 3.3 miles in, then turned back so I could chill at the North Fork Tuolumne River before sunset. I'll post an update when I do the full 7 miles to the river and back.
My tips:
Watch for railroad ties.
Some parts of the trail are very overgrown.
Nice easy hike with pretty views of the gulch and stream below. Lots of wild flowers in mid May. Good place for dogs.
Awesome trail! Pretty easy for all level hikers. Flat trail and the incline and decline are extremely gradual. Beautiful view of the mountain.
Easy hike, actually more of a walk. The mileage varies depending on how far out you go before turning back. We went 10 miles round trip last week and about 6 today. Lots of wildflowers and poison oak!