Railroad Creek
Total Miles
10.2
Elevation
1,909.28 ft
Duration
1 Hours
Technical Rating
Best Time
Spring, Summer, Fall
Trail Overview
Are you the type of person who would rather take a 10-mile off-road trail to get to the same point that 2 miles of highway would take you? Of course you are; that's why you're here. Railroad Creek Trail is the perfect trail for that. It starts just about a mile up the Northern Skalkaho Rye Trail which is just off of Skalkaho Highway. The trail is very nice and smooth for the first couple of miles starting from the south side. It is mostly one vehicle wide but has a fair amount of places that widen up a little bit where you could pass an oncoming vehicle. Once you start climbing in elevation and get out of the canyon, the trail isn't quite as smooth, however, it is still an easy trail with only small rocks/gravel. This trail is open yearlong but not recommended until early May - September depending on snowfall. If riding this trail early to mid-April, be prepared for a much more difficult drive with patches of deep, pulling snow with steep drops off the side of the trail. This trail in the spring is pretty muddy in spots as well, so if driving this trail early season, make sure you have good tires and confidence. In the later season, this trail is much easier when it is dry. Along the way, you can see burn scars and dead trees from the Hog Trough Fire from the summer of 2022.
Photos of Railroad Creek
Difficulty
This is mostly a typical gravel/dirt Forest Service road. It can get sketchy with leftover snow from the winter. There's some fallen rock in the trail in a few spots, all under 12 inches. It's mostly one full-size vehicle wide with plenty of wider spots for passing other vehicles. The trail does have some significant drop-offs at the edge at times.