Name: Beginner's Loop
Rating: 2.5

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Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Tom Mays Unit is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily. Off-hours access is permitted and is via a small parking area at the gate off of Transmountain. Overnight camping is available.

A ranger station, usually only staffed on weekends in the warmer months, is located a mile inside the entrance. Adult entrance fees are $5 per person, or $2 in groups; children 12 and under are free. When the station is not staffed, use the pay box next to the station.

Description

Created as a practice area for beginning mountain bikers, the Beginner's Loop is located at the southern end of Lower Sunset and is mostly useful as an option to increase mileage for hikers on the Sunset Loop.

The trail splits off from the doubletrack section of Lower Sunset shortly after the trailhead. While the satellite view appears to show a number of diverging paths, the trail is straightforward and easy to follow. A few small rocks are the only real challenge in navigating the winding singletrack. A few creosote bushes and cacti surround the trail.

After meandering for a mile, the loop merges back into Lower Sunset about a quarter mile away from its starting point.