Onion Mountain, Shan Creek

Onion Mountain is a great place to break away from the crowds in town and take in some beautiful scenery. If you're lucky, you might even see a bear or two. Most of the trails are open year-round; however, heavy snow can be expected in the winter, and there are spots where you can get cell phone reception. After a mile, the pavement ends and gives way to a gravel road that has some rural residents for about another mile. After that, it begins to narrow into a one-way road with turnouts. There is a great spot, halfway up, to overlook the valley above Shan Creek, and it can be used for dispersed camping, but be sure to check the seasonal fire restrictions. There have been two large fires in this area. One in 2014 was named the Onion Mountain fire, and another in 2018 was named the Shan Creek fire. When you get to the top of the trail, there is a large open area that is great for a rally point, and has multiple trails that split off from there, one of them being Onion Mountain Lookout, but the gate has been locked indefinitely due to vandalism. There is a UTV trail that goes around the gate, not suited for full-size vehicles.