| Statistics: |
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| Difficulty: 3
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Route Finding: 1.5
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| Distance One Way
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1.75
miles |
| Trailhead Elev
745 feet |
Elev Gain 874 feet |
| Avg Time One Way
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45 minutes |
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| Waypoints: |
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| Trailhead |
N 34° 10.599 W 118° 54.885
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Trailhead/End of trail
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N 34° 10.353 W 118° 54.837
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Angel Vista Trail
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N 34° 09.935 W 118° 55.127
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Los Robles Trail Central
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N 34° 09.913 W 118° 55.124
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Los Robles Trail West
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N 34° 09.913 W 118° 55.124
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Trailhead/End of trail
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N 34° 09.913 W 118° 55.124
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Topographic Route Map |
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Elevation Profile |
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By Scott Legal
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The Rosewood Trail is a long winding trail that climbs steeply from Lynn Road to the Los Robles Trail. The trail rises nearly 900 vertical feet in less than 1.75 miles before descending a short distance to its end at a junction with the Los Robles Trail. At the high point on the trail is a junction with the Angel Vista Trail, a trail that takes you to Angel Vista, the place that offers the best views of any place within the Los Robles Trail network.
The trail gets its name from the neighborhood that Regal Oak Court is a part of. The trailhead is located on the south side of Lynn Rd. between Culver Road to the east and Regal Oak Court to the west. There is no parking at the trailhead. An alternate trailhead is off of Regal Oak Court where you can park on the street next to the trailhead. We’ll continue to use Lynn Road as our trailhead in order to cover the whole trail.
This is a single track trail all of the way up. From Lynn Road the trail drops a short distance before heading up hill for a short distance. The trail flattens out briefly, passing willows that line a small creek to the left. The trail then dips to the left and crosses the creek, then turns sharply to the right and heads up a short steep hill. The trail then flattens out for about 100 yards before heading uphill. The trail straightens out on this uphill and passes the intersection with the alternate trailhead that I described above.
The trail then heads offer to the right toward a pair of short switchbacks. There is poison oak on the left side of the trail below and above the first switchback, so avoid it. The trail then straightens out and flattens out for about 100 yards. The trail then makes a sharp right then left turn before heading up a short uphill and down an equally short downhill. This is the only downhill on the trail until much higher on the trail.
From the bottom of the short downhill the trail begins a long relentless ascent. There is still 700 vertical feet of climbing ahead. The trail straddles an ascending ridgeline and switches back and forth from one side of the ridgeline to the other. Unlike the switchbacks on the Los Robles Trail, the trail sections between switchbacks on the Rosewood Trail are often much steeper. Consequently, mountain bikers traveling downhill on this trail often build up a lot of speed. So be alert and watch out for mountain bikers. Fortunately, not nearly as many mountain bikers ride the Rosewood Trail as the Los Robles Trail.
Because this trail is predominantly on a north facing slope, the trail remains damp much longer after rainfall. The result is an abundance of wildflowers during the winter and spring months including early season Blue-Eyed Grass and mid season Bush Monkeyflowers. Some deeper rooted wildflowers such as the Scarlet Bugler last well into the summer months on shadier spots of the trail.
1.3 miles in on the hike the trail wraps around a steep ridge and parallels the Los Robles Trail across a deep canyon to the left. The trail rises steeply for almost a quarter of a mile as it parallels the Los Robles Trail. The trail then switches back and provides a gentler slope for a short distance before through one last steep climb for almost a quarter of a mile. Finally, you reach a short downhill. Hen comes one last short uphill that ends at an intersection with the Angel Vista Trail to your right. The trail then dips for about thirty yards to end at a junction with the Los Robles Trail.
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The Rosewood Trailhead |
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Looking down at one of the few downhill streches on the way up the Rosewood Trail |
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Looking down from the Angel Vista Trail |
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