Bobcat Trail

This trail description was written by Bill Sherrard in 2009. Most details are still accurate, but keep in mind that foliage and other flora change seasonally and over time.

The Bobcat Trail has its eastern trailhead off of the Engelmann Oak Trail. Getting to the Bobcat Trailhead involves hiking 0.70 miles south on the Cougar Ridge Trail to the Engelmann Oak Trailhead and then hiking 0.89 miles east and south on Engelmann Oak to the Bobcat Trailhead.

There is a moderate elevation gain from Cougar Pass to the Engelmann Oak Trailhead. However, the hike on Engelmann Oak involves a steep climb from the trailhead to the top of the ridge. After that the trail is fairly level to the Bobcat Trailhead.

The Bobcat Trail is 1.00 mile in length traversing from Engelmann Oak on the East to the Cougar Ridge Trail on the west. The trail is single lane and can accommodate hikers, bikers and equestrians.

The trail is rated “moderate” in terms of difficulty when hiking the trail west to east. This is because of the 243 foot elevation gain between the west and east ends of the trail. We will be hiking the trail from east to west, starting at 1,692 feet and declining to 1,449 feet at the trail’s end where it intersects the Cougar Ridge Trail. Because of the decline in elevation, the trail is rated “easy” when hiking from east to west.

The trailhead marker for the Bobcat Trail indicates the trail is 1.00 mile long.

There is a prairie view at the Bobcat Trailhead that is visible for about a tenth of a mile down the trail. At this point the trail enters an area with foliage on both sides of the trail.

The foliage ranges from brushes to large trees, one of which is a dead tree shaped to resemble a bucking horse reared up on his hind legs as if to throw a rider from his back. At the quarter mile mark one can look back towards the east and see the open area we have passed

At 0.33 miles down the trail is a “flower garden” that has several bushes with yellow flowers. This is a pleasant respite from the large trees bordering the trail.

At 0.45 miles into the hike, along the south side of the trail are the remnants of some signs of human occupancy from well over a century ago. There is a low stone wall, crudely built, that is all that is left of a structure or animal enclosure that may have once stood at this site. One possibility is that an early homesteader, whose origins were French, may have tried to establish a presence here.

Upon leaving the low stone wall the trail passes through areas of heavy foliage along the trail. The heavy foliage with occasional large trees along the trail continues until near the end of the hike.

The trail splits near its intersection with the Cougar Ridge Trail. Hikers going to the Cougar Pass entrance should take the northern branch (turn right) at the split, whereas those going south on the Cougar Ridge Trail should take the southern branch (turn left).

Text and Photos Copyright © 2009 William R. Sherrard. Used with permission