Hike the Oat Hill Mine Trail
8.3 miles
- Out-and-Back Trail
Added by Elizabeth Annett
Moderate level hike with gorgeous views of California's wine country! This trail provides a constant switch between full sun and shade with increasingly beautiful views as you climb.
The incline on this trail begins pretty much right away and is fairly gradual for the entire hike, some of it is quite rocky, making this an easy to moderate level hike. However, with some shade (probably wouldn't attempt it on a hot summer day) and the sweeping views of the valley that get better and better the higher you climb, its worth it! You can decide how far you want to go, with the full length being just over 8 miles up. Halfway is historic Holms Cabin (a miner's homestead built in the late 1800's.)
Trailhead is pretty easy to find at the intersection of Lake County Hwy (the end of the main road through the small cute town of Calistoga) and the Silverado Trail, with parking for about 8 cars.
Trail open to hikers, mountain bikers, and dogs.
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Overall rating:
Fantastic
Oat Hill is a great way to see the cute town of Calistoga! This begins with elevation immediately, and you will feel it pretty hard! It does have shade at times, but dont necessarily count on it as this hike can get to be hot! It begins with some wooded sections, and will eventually break into a rockier section, with some rough areas to walk over so keep an eye on those ankles! Hiking poles will be welcomed here. Once the Palisades appear, They completely shocked me on my first visit. Simply stunning, and after seeing a side trail that follows them i had to make that another days adventure. If your experienced enough and up for a challenge, the Palisades Trail (4 miles into the Oat Hill Mine Trail) will bring you to Table Rock after about 6 miles and eventually the base of Mt St. Helena, which if another really tough hike! Bringing in the full out and back will be a 31 mile journey, with nearly 9,000 ft of elevation gain
5.0
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