fossil creek backpack trip?

[capoeirajosh]

Has anyone done this trip? How is it and what did you think? I believe you start at the strawberry end and hike down into the spring. Thinking of doing an overnight trip with the wife. She has been wanting to do a backpack trip where she can swim. Any info would be great. : )

[naturegirl]

I'm pretty sure my son has done it. I will ask him questions for you if no one here has done it.

 

I'm with your wife. Water this time of year is fun.

[capoeirajosh]

I'm pretty sure my son has done it. I will ask him questions for you if no one here has done it.

 

 

 

I'm with your wife. Water this time of year is fun.

Thanks! I'd appreciate it! Yeah, she is a fish, haha.

[oz31p]

Take a look at hells gate. Your can hike/ swim from bear flats campground to gilesa. Some guys I work with do it a few times a year.

[capoeirajosh]

Take a look at hells gate. Your can hike/ swim from bear flats campground to gilesa. Some guys I work with do it a few times a year.

Thanks! I will check that out!

[azslim]

there was a parking lot at the top of the canyon before you started dropping down, park there and follow the old jeep trail down.

 

have done Hellsgate too, a must to be able to water proof your packs because fastest way is to go through the deep holes, had a ball fishing my way down the creek, ran into 4 bears, one mama with a cub, keep that in mind

[SWDesertRat]

The trailhead is about 4 miles from Strawberry, the road is usually in pretty rough shape but you can drive a passenger car to the trailhead but you want to take it easy. The hike to the springs from the Strawberry side is about 4.5 miles, all down hill on the old mail trail (think old jeep trail, with a few narrow points) the trail is an easy walk down but then it's almost all uphill on the way out. I'd recommend hiking up in the morning as the hike up is almost all western exposure and it can get toasty on the way up.

I've hiked down in less than 45 minutes and hiked up in a little over an hour.

If you're looking for a primitive experience I'd recommend going during the weekday. This area is hugely popular and can get a lot of weekend traffic (seem to recall a forest service report that Fossil Creek had 90000 visitors per year). Some people bring all their trash stuff (beer, wine, coolers, water bottles, sleeping bags, tents, trash) and leave it there because they don't want to carry it back up hill...so the camping areas near the springs can get kind of trashed.

People will also hike up from the waterfall or along the old flume road from the 708 road.

For more solitary experiences you could walk down the old flume road and then drop down towards the creek and find some nice benches with your own swimming hole.

It's a beautiful area, I've had some negative experiences up there from other users but it is worth seeing.

Personally, I think late summer early fall is the best time to go, the sycamore, ash, and sumac trees are changing color and there are less people.

If you go bring a mask and snorkel and remember that even though there are a bunch of fish it isn't open to fishing.

Also, the gnats can be horrible during this time of the year and during August so be ready for that.

It's a great spot and it's cool to see all that water come streaming out of the ground.

PM me for more information.

[Edge]

The trailhead is about 4 miles from Strawberry, the road is usually in pretty rough shape but you can drive a passenger car to the trailhead but you want to take it easy. The hike to the springs from the Strawberry side is about 4.5 miles, all down hill on the old mail trail (think old jeep trail, with a few narrow points) the trail is an easy walk down but then it's almost all uphill on the way out. I'd recommend hiking up in the morning as the hike up is almost all western exposure and it can get toasty on the way up.

I've hiked down in less than 45 minutes and hiked up in a little over an hour.

If you're looking for a primitive experience I'd recommend going during the weekday. This area is hugely popular and can get a lot of weekend traffic (seem to recall a forest service report that Fossil Creek had 90000 visitors per year). Some people bring all their trash stuff (beer, wine, coolers, water bottles, sleeping bags, tents, trash) and leave it there because they don't want to carry it back up hill...so the camping areas near the springs can get kind of trashed.

People will also hike up from the waterfall or along the old flume road from the 708 road.

For more solitary experiences you could walk down the old flume road and then drop down towards the creek and find some nice benches with your own swimming hole.

It's a beautiful area, I've had some negative experiences up there from other users but it is worth seeing.

Personally, I think late summer early fall is the best time to go, the sycamore, ash, and sumac trees are changing color and there are less people.

If you go bring a mask and snorkel and remember that even though there are a bunch of fish it isn't open to fishing.

Also, the gnats can be horrible during this time of the year and during August so be ready for that.

It's a great spot and it's cool to see all that water come streaming out of the ground.

PM me for more information.

All great advice.

So many people wanting in to the area, on weekends the vehicles are out on 260 lined up trying to get in. Definitely go on weekdays.

[bvanetten]

West Clear Creek is fun also. If you can stage a vehicle on the south side you can do a one way trip. Go in on Maxwell trailhead and hike out around the Narrows about 5 miles down stream.

[forepaw]

You mean East Clear Cr.?

 

forepaw

[capoeirajosh]

Holy moly! That is a lot of people! Thanks for all of the info!!

[murfys69law]

Clear creek can be a great hike but you have to check and find out when the "No see um's" are out. Had some friends that did it. They went in through bull pen and hiked about 15 miles in. They said the farther they went in the bigger the fish got but the no see um's like to ate them up. The only thing they found that helped was they had little packs of Dawn dishwashing liquid and they said that helped but not totally. They had every kind of bug spray too and they think it just attracted them.

[capoeirajosh]

Clear creek can be a great hike but you have to check and find out when the "No see um's" are out. Had some friends that did it. They went in through bull pen and hiked about 15 miles in. They said the farther they went in the bigger the fish got but the no see um's like to ate them up. The only thing they found that helped was they had little packs of Dawn dishwashing liquid and they said that helped but not totally. They had every kind of bug spray too and they think it just attracted them.

That sounds cool! Forgive me, but what are "No see um's"?

[JLW]

 

Clear creek can be a great hike but you have to check and find out when the "No see um's" are out. Had some friends that did it. They went in through bull pen and hiked about 15 miles in. They said the farther they went in the bigger the fish got but the no see um's like to ate them up. The only thing they found that helped was they had little packs of Dawn dishwashing liquid and they said that helped but not totally. They had every kind of bug spray too and they think it just attracted them.

That sounds cool! Forgive me, but what are "No see um's"?

 

biting midges... no fun

or any small pest that bites for that matter

cedar knats...

 

James

[capoeirajosh]

 

 

 

Clear creek can be a great hike but you have to check and find out when the "No see um's" are out. Had some friends that did it. They went in through bull pen and hiked about 15 miles in. They said the farther they went in the bigger the fish got but the no see um's like to ate them up. The only thing they found that helped was they had little packs of Dawn dishwashing liquid and they said that helped but not totally. They had every kind of bug spray too and they think it just attracted them.

That sounds cool! Forgive me, but what are "No see um's"?

biting midges... no fun

or any small pest that bites for that matter

cedar knats...

 

James

Ahhh! That doesn't sound fun!