Gold Center - Marble Creek Trail #251

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Allowed

This fun trail starts in the alpine Beargrass meadows on Freezeout Saddle and descends down to Marble Creek Trail. The trail passes the Gold Center Creek - Trail #251 intersection, which is also part of trail #251, but descends for a few miles to the west before terminating at Gold Center Road. Continue to the right at this intersection. Eventually you'll meet the trail that takes you to the top of Grandmother Mountain and Grandfather Mountain on your left, continue right to follow trail #251.

From here the trail starts down the mountain, first by following the ridge, then later dropping down a steep forested mountainside. Stay right when passing the trail to Cornwall Point, and stay left when passing the trail to Delaney Creek Trail #271 - both are well marked.

At one point on the descent you'll come upon an opening with a road. The trail is directly across from where you first came out into the opening, but it is less obvious than you might think. We had to hunt through the growing trees along the road for a few minutes to make sure. Less than a mile further the trail will cross the road again. Here the trail becomes a little overgrown for less than a half mile.

After descending the trail further, you'll cross Cornwall Creek then Marble Creek. Marble Creek can be a tough crossing due to snow melt. After crossing Marble Creek you can continue down river to the NW, up to Homestead Creek Road or back up Marble Creek and maybe Delaney Creek Trail #271 (Huge Hike-A-Bike, seriously it was pretty bad).