I took an out and back 2 mile hike on the Oursan Trail, a wide fire road type trail located along the shore of the Briones Reservoir. Much of this hike offers vistas of the reservoir. There are a couple of ways to approach this trail. You can start at the Bear Creek staging area, Hampton staging area, or the Overlook staging area, and take an out and back approach. Or you can choose one staging area and hike the loop. From the map, it appears that the whole loop is 12.7 miles, excluding Hampton Trail, which would add another .6 miles. You'll see a lot of wildlife along this trail, including hawks, water birds, rabbit, deer, and the occasional snake. On my hike, the total elevation change was 991 feet. You'll have a few nice hills to climb or run, but otherwise, it's a peaceful and refreshing hike. If you visit in the early morning, you may see a beautiful mist rising over the water. Overall, it's a combination of canopy and open trail, and on the part I visited, the trail was wide and uncluttered.
Location: Bear Creek Staging Area
Route: Starting out at the Bear Creek staging area, I travelled west on the Oursan Trail, travelled 2 miles, and returned via the same route.
Trails Featured: Oursan Trail
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