Scab Creek Trail #7110

Dogs Off-leash

Features Commonly Backpacked · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Scab Creek Trail is found at the Scab Creek Trailhead.

From the trailhead sign, Scab Creek Trail immediately begins seriously climbing for the first 2 miles. Beginning in range sagebrush, very soon the trail enters the rocky forest where it stay for quite a ways - up to about the 9 mile mark. There are a few good views initially, of the open range, looking back to the west. After 2 miles, the climb eases, but the trail does continue to climb gradually. Little Divide Lake and the turn-off to Divide Lake, are passed at the 5.8 mile mark, followed by Lightning Lakes that are somewhat hidden in the forest.

Leaving Lightning Lakes behind, the trail levels off, then breaks out of the forest into the rocky, grasslands of the high country, and passes a trail that leads to Cross Lake at the 9 mile mark. Here, the panoramic view of the South Fork of the Boulder Creek valley appears ahead. The trail descends slightly into this valley to cross this creek after a short ways, and then run upstream along it until Dream Lake is reached at the 10.4 mile mark.

The trail then runs along the north shore of Dream Lake and other ponds for almost a mile until it meets up with the Fremont Trail/CDT where it ends.

Vegetation ranges from rocky mixed conifer forest with fairly dense undergrowth, to grassy lands dotted with trees, primarily pines, in the high country. Range cattle can be encountered on the trail as far up as Dream Lake.