Lane City Loop

The Lane City Loop is one of the unsigned hikes in the area that falls under the category of 'just drive to the end of a dirt road and take off walking'.

The remnants of the small boomtown of Lane City remain visible from Highway 50. Several old buildings stand mostly hidden in the growth, but can be found when walking through the gravel roads here.

The hike begins at the gravel road, where hikers can pull their car off to the side of the road. Ascending above Lane City, this route follows a couple lightly-used ORV roads as they climb into the hills, cutting across just beneath a stony promontory. A portion of the hike continues past the end of a dead end road, and crosses trail-less backcountry rounding a slope that eventually meets up with another rough trail that descends back toward the highway. When leaving the road and cutting across the backcountry path, we veered left from the wash, it was less steep and rocky, though the slant of the landscape put a little bit of a lean into our route. 

The trail also passes several mine shafts and sizable cuts into the landscape where past operations are clear. The remains of Lane City all along the base of the trail, which passes several stone structures that precariously continue standing, as well as a few that have fallen to the elements.

Overall, the hike is 3 miles with some moderate elevation gain, and a varied terrain. There are no amenities of any kind anywhere along the trail. As a portion of the trail is in the shadows, hikers should be prepared for possible late season snow covering the route in areas.