Trail Overview
Nestled deep within the National Forest, Ninemile Creek - FS 3062 serves as a highly functional and frequently traveled woodland route. Operating as a broad, straightforward access road, this trail is heavily utilized by outdoor recreationists, hikers, and sightseers looking to reach the popular Falls Creek Falls Trailhead (Trails No. 152 and 152A). The driving surface consists of a wide, two-lane graded dirt and gravel foundation that earns a mild Grade 2 difficulty rating due to persistent surface wear. The forest environment provides a beautifully shaded corridor, keeping the drive cool and incredibly scenic. Because it is designed to accommodate a steady flow of trailhead visitors, the pathway remains comfortably wide throughout, allowing for stress-free passing of oncoming traffic without the need to squeeze into the trailside brush.
Difficulty
Earning an accessible Grade 2 difficulty rating, this wide forest service road presents a generally flat and straightforward drive that is repeatedly interrupted by bothersome surface degradation. Severe technical off-road obstacles like deep, impassable mud bogs, intimidating boulder fields, and steep shelf drop-offs are completely absent from the journey. Instead, the primary challenge is an abundance of constant, scattered potholes and shallow water puddles that heavily pepper the dirt and gravel base. Navigating this thoroughfare simply requires drivers to remain attentive, weaving around the deepest depressions or slowing to a controlled crawl to absorb the continuous impacts comfortably. A modest amount of ground clearance is helpful for smoothly rolling through the uneven washboarding and water-filled dips, ensuring a safe and pleasant arrival at the hiking trailhead.
Offroad