Name: Shade Creek Trail
Rating: 3.0

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Dogs Off-leash

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Wildlife

For foot traffic only; bikes use Twister Trail and Norling Road.

The trails are open year-round but can get muddy (or snowy) in places during the winter.

The trails are used by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, so please observe proper trail etiquette. A few trails are reserved for mountain biking (these are usually signed as such), so please don’t hike on these.

There are no potable water sources in the park or along the trails – be sure to bring plenty of your own.

Need to Know

There are no fees to use this park. There are 7 designated parking areas throughout the park, each with room for 5 to 12 cars. They are located near clusters of trail heads. Some have chemical toilets but most have no amenities beyond a parking space. Very useful paper trails maps are sometimes available at the parking area kiosks but can also be obtained online.

Description

This trail connects the Atsahu Trail with Parking Area P-7 and that parking area with the Twin Peaks Trail and the Canyon Falls Trail, both near Parking Area P-5. Hidden springs in a fern-filled side canyon leave pools of water in adjacent Shade Creek, attracting wildlife for enjoyable viewing.

Note that just below Parking Area P-7, the bike-only Twister Trail goes to the left, while the hiker-only Shade Creek Trail turns sharply right down two switchbacks to the creek.

Flora & Fauna

Watch out for ticks in the spring, rattlesnakes (rare) in the warmer months, and poison oak all year-round. Consider these nuisances if you let your dog off-leash.