7.4 hr
Overview
Start at the end of Gridley Road - it dead ends at a gate to a private community. Parking is available along the road.<br><br>The first part of the trail is very technical and rocky - parts of it are hike-a-bike. <br>At mile 0.4 you'll hit a fire road. Turn right and start climbing between the avocado fields.<br>At mile 0.7 you won't hit the last intersection for a while (until mile 5.8). Turn left and very quickly you'll be up in the mountains, gaining elevation on singletrack trails.<br><br>Between miles 3 and 5, the trail becomes much steeper and narrower with a few switchbacks and washed-out sections. You'll want to exercise extra caution in this section. <br><br>From mile 5 onwards, the trail levels off and you'll pretty much be cruising to the top of the Gridley Trail (22W05) for almost another mile. <br><br>If you want some extra credit, you can climb to the top of Nordhoff Peak at 4,470 feet. Turn left at the top of Gridley (south-west) and ride for 1.3 miles along the doubletrack road to the Nordhoff tower, Nordhoff Ridge Road. <br><br>That's a good place to stop, admire the amazing views and just relax. <br>You have two options for going back down: (1) down the Gridley Trail (22W05) or (2) down the Pratt Trail which is a mile west of Nordhoff tower if you're following the Nordhoff Ridge Road. Both are great options!<br><br>I chose Gridley this time, but you can see the video for Pratt Trail <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mj2UlR8Cog&feature=youtu.be">here</a>. <br><br>You can watch portions of the Gridley Trail <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeKvT2BDDZQ&feature=youtu.be">here</a>. <br><br>Have fun!
Trail Stats
23.1 km
1004 m
1360 m
356 m
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Photos
Enjoy the view from the top of the Gridley Trail!
Enjoy the view from the top of the Gridley Trail!
Nordoff Ridge Road to the top of Nordoff Peak.
Nordoff Ridge Road to the top of Nordoff Peak.
The Topatopa Mountains and Gridley trail below
The Topatopa Mountains and Gridley trail below
Trail views from the Gridley Trail. Bear left here!
Trail views from the Gridley Trail. Bear left here!
Dropping into the 'horse trough' about halfway up Gridley. This shady spot is a good place to rest and regroup before the switchbacks start.
Dropping into the 'horse trough' about halfway up Gridley. This shady spot is a good place to rest and regroup before the switchbacks start.
The view from Nordhoff Peak.
The view from Nordhoff Peak.