6/29/2025 Posted On: 6/30/2025 By: BoulderJeremy Info: Did a solo trip from the Pine Creek TH up to the junction between Pine Creek trail and Elk's Head Pass trail. I threw down a tent in that general vicinity. Next day I took Pine Creek all the way up to Silver King Lake at 12,500' Pine Creek trail up up to Elk's Head Pass was in good shape. Can be a bit challenging in places. Roughly 9.5 miles from trailhead. The thing to keep in mind is that after that, the trail continues on the West side of Pine Creek and the drainage and then just dies. This is a known issue. To pick up the trail, you need to have slosh your way through the mud and water to the East side and pick the trail up again. I REALLY wish I had my water sandals. Boots were soaked through all the way up to the lake and back down again. Silver King Lake is worth the hike, but getting across the muddy drainage is a challenge. | 4 |
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5/24/2025 Posted On: 5/24/2025 By: amnesia Info: Open, dry, and free - reconfirmed that the fee box that was removed last year is still gone. | 3 |
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7/23/2024 Posted On: 7/23/2024 By: HikerGuy Info: From the BV Trails Report FB page: "Yesterday, we set out on the Pine Creek Trail & found some brand-spanking-new signage. Those who've hiked the Pine Creek Trail over the years know that the Pine Creek Ranch has long charged a fee to travel from the TH to public land... but that appears to have changed! The old hand-written sign with fee envelopes (which had moved from the TH parking area to behind the gate a couple years ago) is now completely gone, replaced by a sign on the gate requiring trail users to accept liability." | 3 |
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6/8/2024 Posted On: 6/9/2024 By: amnesia Info: There currently does not appear to be a fee at Pine Creek. I'm confident I didn't miss the fee box - I've paid the fee multiple times over the previous years, and even saw the remnants of the posts that held up the fee box/sign. I glanced around at the trailhead and was unable to locate a new fee box. In the short-term I'd recommend bringing money for the fee in case this is just a temporary thing, but at least for now there does not appear to be a fee. | 2 |
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5/20/2023 Posted On: 6/29/2023 By: BillMiddlebrook Info: Open and dry. | 2 |
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7/12/2021 Posted On: 7/12/2021 By: GordoByrn Info: Single log bridge at Little John's Cabin still in place. Stack of long poles on the cabin side make crossing easier. Shovel and two functional wooden chairs at Little John's. Nice campsite north of the trail, above the ruined corral, just before the cabin. Look for a social trail heading into the trees. | 4 |
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7/1/2020 Posted On: 7/2/2020 By: cdgibbons Info: As has been reported elsewhere, dry and easy to access; (very modest) $1/person, $2/animal fee request to cross private property. There is a no camping sign at the curve where some passenger cars park but appears to be available dispersed camping above and below that point. Some older reports had questions about distance on this trail; my GPS measured pretty close to what is in Roach's book. Measuring from the private property sign just below the locked gate, 2.2 miles to where the road becomes trail, 4.3 to the footbridge/CT junction, 6.9 to the cabin, and 10.0 to the trail junction where the Elkhead Pass trail splits off (which is signed). Saw six tents in the valley in the morning, one accompanied by a couple of llamas, and about that many folks on the trail in the afternoon. Beautiful valley, especially above the footbridge/CT junction. | ||||
4/23/2014 Posted On: 4/23/2014 By: freeinthehills Info: Good to go | ||||
6/9/2012 Posted On: 6/9/2012 By: tdearborn Info: Question: Is it possible to get to the parking area below the trailhead with a low-clearance vehicle such as a Prius-C (5 1/2 in clearance)? | ||||
7/10/2010 Posted On: 9/3/2010 By: Teeboy Info: Actually pulled a Uhaul trailer to the TH with a Honda Pilot. A little rough at the end, but very manageable. (A little difficult to turn a trailer around and not suggested! LOL!) There are several parking spots below the actual TH parking area with a 200 yard walk up the road to the trail. Of note, there were several large horse trailers at the lower parking area. They seemed to have no problems from the highway to the lower area. Nice TH! | ||||
3/26/2009 Posted On: 3/26/2009 By: reverette13 Info: Just got back from the Pine Creek TH on 3.25.09. Easy access; easy parking. Made it all the way to the actual TH (the "No Motorized Vehicles" sign w/o snowshoes, but not much (2 miles?) beyond that. Lost the trail before Little John‘s Cabin. | ||||
8/15/2007 Posted On: 8/15/2007 By: mtnbikir Info: Yes on above. It's the first road south of AVA rafting just by Granite. Turn away from the river.. ie the Pine Creek Rapids! | ||||
8/21/2006 Posted On: 8/21/2006 By: Arctic Blonde Info: If you have a Roach 14er guide, it's not up-to-date on this trailhead. Currently the TH is .8 mile down CR 388. There is a Forest Service register there, a parking (not camping) area and a sign from the landowner, D.L. Thayer, across whose land the trail runs for 1/2 mile. He (or she) politely requests that you pay $1.00 per human, $2.00 per "critter" ( must have figured 50 cents per foot) to cross his property. There are envelopes and a drop box on his sign. I also think that Roach's distances on this trail are not correct. From that TH, it's about 6.5 miles to the footbridge across Pine Creek and another 4 miles to Little John's Cabin. |
