Hike 4: McClellan Butte trailhead to Homestead Valley trailhead

Driving there:  At I-90 exit 42 turn south.  A short distance after the pavement ends, turn right up a narrow road to the McClellan Butte trailhead.  A Northwest Forest pass is required.  There's no place here to buy one.  Find a place to buy one here.

From the trailhead hike up the hill through the shady woods, crossing an old logging road.  The sign directs you to the right, but you can also continue up the hill to the John Wayne trail.  If you like railroads you'll love today's hike.  It's kind of amazing how they managed to build a railroad on the side of a cliff.  It was another sunny Fall day, warm in the sun and cool in the shade.  This time of year, the trail is mostly shady.  There's a lot of freeway noise here, the trail is above I-90 but still close to it.

Lisa goes rock climbing

Watch out for that first step!

We crossed Road 9020 at Garcia and continued on to Mine Creek.  From the trestle you can see long straight lines painted on the talus slope.  It reminds me of Nazca lines.

Mine creek trestle.

Nazca lines?  I zoomed in from a distance, so it's hard to see just how big it really is.

We proceeded to the Hall (not Hull) creek trestle, followed by the Change creek trestle.  At the west end we found a sunny spot to eat lunch and enjoy the view.  This is the beginning of the Deception Crags rock climbing area.

The trail continues past more cliffs and climbers.  Eventually we came to a the Homestead Valley trailhead turnoff, a gravel road that goes a short distance to a trail on the left that took us to the parking lot.  This might have been 6+ miles, we were pretty tired at the end.

Side trip:  At the east end of the Hall creek trestle, there are two trails.  The appropriately named Zigzag trail goes up the mountainside a quarter mile or so and forks.  The right fork goes another quarter mile or so to a waterfall on Hall creek.  The left fork continues up to logging roads and other trails.  Back at the trestle, the Hall creek trail goes down to old US 10 in Ollalie state park.

Side trip:  Between Hall creek and Change creek the Change creek trail climbs steeply up the mountainside to who knows where.  It has a few good views, but you have to work for them.

View from Change creek trail.  Hall creek trestle lower right.

Side trip:  At the west end of the Change creek trestle a short trail goes down to old US 10.