USFS National Forest System Trails · Six Rivers National Forest · California · Updated June 2026
Horse Mountain Lookout (USFS trail 8E04) is a 1.8 mi trail in Six Rivers National Forest, California. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Horse Mountain Lookout?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
Zooming out: across Six Rivers National Forest, 28% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of C.
Watch Six Rivers National Forest for access changes
Email me when USFS mountain-bike or e-bike designations change for trails in Six Rivers National Forest. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
About this trail
Horse Mountain Lookout (USFS trail 8E04) runs 1.8 mi through Six Rivers National Forest in California. This profile summarizes what the official US Forest Service trail record says about riding it: how long the trail is, what it's built on, how steep the route grades out, and which forms of bike use the agency has designated. USFS records list its surface as native material. USFS slope data puts it in the Intermediate band (grade band +8-10%), meaning a moderate climb — keep in mind this measures steepness, not trail technicality. Note that mountain-bike use here is discouraged in USFS records — confirm with the ranger district before riding. On the electric side, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are also designated — Class 1 being pedal-assist only, Classes 2 and 3 adding a throttle and higher assisted speed. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 2 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. Because conditions, closures, and local orders change between data refreshes, confirm the current status with the managing ranger district before you ride.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Horse Mountain Lookout?
- Mountain-bike use on Horse Mountain Lookout is discouraged in USFS records, though Class 1 e-bike use is designated. Confirm current rules with the managing ranger district.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Horse Mountain Lookout?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Horse Mountain Lookout in the USFS data.
- How long is Horse Mountain Lookout?
- Horse Mountain Lookout measures about 1.8 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Horse Mountain Lookout?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Horse Mountain Lookout as native material.
- How difficult is Horse Mountain Lookout?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Intermediate (grade band +8-10%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of Six Rivers National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
Where to stay near Six Rivers National Forest
Find hotels, cabins, and vacation rentals near Six Rivers National Forest — plan your ride.
Top-rated places to stay near Six Rivers National Forest
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Riding Six Rivers National Forest?
Trail-access updates and trip ideas by email.
More trails in Six Rivers National Forest
8.4 mi · Intermediate grade
7.9 mi · Intermediate grade
4.9 mi · Intermediate grade
4 mi · Intermediate grade
3.6 mi · Intermediate grade
2.8 mi · Intermediate grade