“Keep close to nature’s heart….and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” ~ John Muir

Oh man. Where better to escape into the woods and experience a little soul cleansing soiree than in the Sierra Nevada Mountains? 

If you want to experience a quick-gratification jaunt that offers eye candy the whole way through, you’ll want to check out Arnold Rim Trail located in Arnold, California, which is part of the Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

There are multiple trailheads, and the entire trail system is a whopping 17.5 miles (and an extension is currently in the works). I’ve read that the Loggers’ Museum in White Pines is a popular area to park and start the trail. I think it depends on what feature of the Arnold Rim Trail you want to see, like the San Antonio Falls or Top of the World rock, which also boasts gorgeous views.

We opted for a short and sweet trek via Avery Sheep Ranch Trailhead, with one destination in mind: Cougar Rock.

Taking Avery Sheep Ranch Road, we had some difficulty finding the trailhead at first. Each of our phone’s GPS maps taking us in loops and contrasting directions. We eventually came to two dirt roads in the middle of a residential area. 

There, we saw a blind and deaf dog (that resembled a goat, ha) meandering in the middle of the road. His owner was friendly and pointed us toward the dirt road that ran parallel to the inaccessible fire road on its left. A brief 2 miles on that road, and you’ll arrive at a roundabout, where you can park. There was one other person there with the craziest Doberman I’ve ever encountered (he was great), and they were just leaving. Needless to say, it’s dog-friendly! At any rate, it was just our crew present on the entire trek. The seclusion was welcome, adding to the magic of the forest.

The trek we took totaled about 4 miles there and back (there are longer trails to take if you’d prefer), and has about a 900-foot elevation gain, which is hardly noticeable when you have gorgeous and vibrant trees of deep green surrounding you.

You’ll see long and graceful trees shooting out of fuzzy green meadows. We heard a rushing creek flowing below us, which was visible through the trees. I assume that leads to the San Antonio Falls. I only became aware of the elevation gain about halfway up, with the cool mountain air heavier on my lungs — typical for a flat-land trekker such as myself. Collectively, I’d say the route was quite pleasant and fairly easy.

You’ll eventually see a post directing you toward Cougar Rock. Congrats: you’re almost there!

Ascending Cougar Rock is fairly easy. As an aspiring rock climber myself, the rock’s ledges didn’t make me blink.

However, I can see where less experienced climbers may have slight trepidation ascending or descending the rock. I’d recommend staying mindful and maneuvering as slowly as you need. The rocks provide ample and gracious holds for your feet and hands — and the geology is gorgeous! Revel in the dynamic stone textures, its surface painted with diverse mosses. It’s a brief climb and then…you’ve made it.

A short climb later and you’ll reach a stunning outlook. Soak in the well-deserved views of Mokelumne River Canyon and a sea of trees in green, red, and orange hues.

And because we like to have fun, live optimally, and are all holistic wellness enthusiasts, we pulled out some acro-yoga stunts and kicked off our hiking boots to get some grounding/earthing time in.

After feeling complete taking in the expansive views, we headed back. On our trek back, we paused to do some forest bathing, for which there is a myriad of benefits, including reduced stress and increased energy. It’s a simple concept: you slow down while being in nature, taking in your environment. It’s also known as forest therapy. Pretty cool, huh? I’ve always found the outdoors therapeutic; a way to dispel distractions and connect to God.

In this case, we slowed down to a halt. We sat and breathed, basking in the meadow for about 15 minutes. It was wonderful. I highly recommend it.

The Arnold Rim Trail to Cougar Rock offers a relaxing experience, where you can organically immerse yourself in nature right away. If you find yourself in the area, add it to your itinerary. You’ll be glad you did.

How to Get There

Peace always,

smb