Beaver Creek #115

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Hike-a-bike · Views

The trailhead is on Pole Creek Rd, which comes off HWY 287 just north of Winston. There are no facilities at the trailhead.

Beaver Creek is a challenging backcountry trail best ridden downhill, however there is no easy way to top. Access to the top would be via Upper Elk Park or Longfellow Clear Creek Trails, both of which are similar in difficulty to this one, and would also involve a considerable amount of hike-a-bike.

Access to the bottom of the trail is via Pole Creek Trailhead where Pole Creek Trail also begins. If you are looking at the map thinking which one of these two trails would be easier to go up, or more enjoyable to come down, Beaver Creek wins by far, on both accounts. While both trails are steep, rocky and cover an enormous amount of elevation gain, Beaver Creek is at least half rideable going up, and has enough corners and variation to make it fun and worthwhile coming down.

The start of Beaver Creek Trail from the bottom is a little weird, and it pays to have the trail on GPS. From the Trailhead, take the old road south past a metal FS gate. After about a quarter mile, the trail will pass a fence line at the same time that it exits the trees. If you look down the fence line to the left, that is more or less the direction you are going and you could just bomb it straight down if you want. To follow the actual trail, go a little farther and right at the end a small clump of trees on your left there is an old grassy doubletrack that zigzags down the hill. It's not very obvious but if you go straight down where the track says, you'll hit it. After the hill mellows out somewhat, there is a place where an old road or ditch crosses the path in front of you and you take a right turn towards a gap in the trees and a stream crossing. An old grassy road lined with trees will lead you to the edge of another group of trees where a section of singletrack trail begins. At the time of writing there was the numbers #115 carved into the tree. This section of singletrack is not very long and spits you out of the trees again onto a doubletrack. Follow the doubletrack through a gate, after which the trail will start heading uphill and start narrowing into singletrack.

Heading uphill from the gate, your first couple of miles or so will be mostly rideable. There is a section where the trail crosses over the stream twice in a short distance and then continues steeply up the gully, and this is where the real hike-a-bike begins. This is one of the worst sections, but fortunately it doesn't last forever and there will be another section of bike riding ahead. The trail will cont