Cathedral Hills – Skycrest Trailhead

The Skycrest Trailhead at Cathedral Hills starts off this 2 mile loop – which does connect to all 10 miles of trails at Cathedral Hills.

Driving
– The Skycrest Trailhead is a little less than 1 hour from Ashland Plaza. You are going to Grants Pass so get to Interstate 5 and head north. In 40 minutes you should be getting off the first exit into Grants Pass, Exit #55. That is Highway 199 and you will turn left and take that for a few miles through town and across the Rogue River until you hit Route 238. Left on 238 and immediately left again on Harbeck Rd (before the Chevron station).

In 3 blocks you turn left on SE Grandview Ave and in a few hundred yards look to your right. Sky Way. It’s easy to miss. Turn right and this road winds through a wooded neighborhood and hits the end of a ‘T’ intersection with Skycrest Drive with the parking lot right across the street.

Parking
–Paved, lined, signed, restroom, room for a dozen cars. This is as legit as parking gets.

The Adventure
– There are exactly 4 zillion routes to take through the Cathedral Hills Trail System with dozens of small trails mostly with the word “back” in them. Hogback, Outback, Backside, Backbone… Backidy-back-a-lack. It’s chaos. Definitely print out, or download THIS MAP.

Here is a 2 mile loop incase you have little kids or an old person with you.

Grab the trail closest to the road and head up. That will be Skycrest Trail. Pass the first signed intersection that links to Timber Rider and turn left at the second intersection onto Skycrest Loop. Do the loop. Come through that intersection and continue to the Madrone Trail. There are 4 signed intersections in a very short distance so you can easily end up on the Outback Loop and deep into the Cathedral Hills system. So look for Madrone Trail and any signs that say Skycrest Trailhead. Madrone will take you mostly downhill back to the parking lot.

Remember you are parked at the Skycrest Trailhead and many, not all, sign posts will point you home. Good luck!