Shields Creek

Trail Overview

Shields Creek Trail drops off of Forest Service Road 5734 behind the Lost Trail Pass Ski Resort, starting with a pretty steep and rocky descent down from the road with small drop-offs from embedded rocks. The east half of the trail is pretty shelfy and exposed and extremely narrow, as it rides through wide open grassy hillsides full of wildflowers in the spring and early summer, and lined with tough clumps of bear grass. It drops 600 feet in elevation over a series of over 10 moderate switchbacks to drop down to the intersection with Colter Creek Trail. Most of the switchbacks are pretty wide and gradual, but one of them is tighter and steeper. As it goes west from that intersection, the trail is a bit easier and more flowy through meadows, with less exposure. Expect a few bigger embedded rocks, and always potential for downed logs. It goes across the base of a couple of scree fields with some bigger boulders. The very west end of the trail is the hardest part, as it goes up a couple tight switchbacks on loose rock with boulders, climbs up a shelfy steep side-hill with significant exposure, then has to drop down a technical root obstacle that is full of loose rocks and right on the edge of a cliff overlooking Overwich Falls. This part is particularly loose and difficult, and exposed, but is worth getting through to get the amazing view of the waterfall. The west end of the trail turns into an ATV trail, and there's a small Vista trail out to an overlook of the Falls.

Photos of Shields Creek

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

This is an intermediate to difficult trail due to lots of extremely narrow and exposed sections, occasional rock and log obstacles, and a very shelfy loose root obstacle on the west end of the trail. There are a lot of easy segments of the trail as well.

Technical Rating

Shields Creek can be accessed by the following ride types:

• Dirt Bike