French Creek Road (non-motorized)

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

The description is only the non-motorized portion of French Creek Road above an access gate near the northern end of Sallie Barber Road.

French Creek Road is a gravel roadway at a manageable gradient for the first 2.5 miles, after which the road becomes much more primitive and progressively steeper, topping out in a hike-a-bike (for most) to French Pass.

At 2/3 mile, the roadway passes through a second gate just beyond the Wire Patch mine area, then passes the uphill end of the Wire Patch Trail and downhill end of Little French Trail in another 1/3 mile.

The road crosses to the western side of French Creek at mile 3 and clears treeline, then reaches a nearly 30% gradient section about 1/2 mile later. From the top of this section to French Pass averages around 15% grade and is at an elevation of 11,500, topping out at 12,070 ft French Pass on the Continental Divide.

There is very limited vehicular access for the sparse homes along the lower section of the road. In general, vehicular conflicts are non-existent.