Goulding Creek

This trail switchbacks steeply up a somewhat unaesthetic hillside below an attractive cliff band. This area was partially burned by the "416" fire in 2018. The singletrack trail surface is mostly smooth packed dirt, but there are loose rocks and rutted areas too. Continue uphill past large boulders, paralleling Goulding Creek and other ravines. Eventually the grade mellows out and the second half of the route is much less taxing. Pass by sections of dense forest and scattered meadows. Plentiful aspens for fall colors here too. Watch out for cow manure and some horse traffic. A cute wooden cabin and corral sit in a clearing near the top of this trail. Only a short distance further before the Goulding Creek trail intersects with Pinkerton-Flagstaff Trail #522.