Quail Creek North Lakeside Trail

View west toward the Pine Valley Mountains. This trail report based on exploration ride by Bruce on January 20, 2020.

Quail Creek North Lakeside Trail

The north Quail Creek trail is under construction. At the time of this writing (January 30, 2020) three miles of the route can be done as a 6-mile out-and-back. But it is NOT actually open for riding, so I'm asking you to check in at Over The Edge in Hurricane for permission. Ideally, you could combine your ride with a trail workday. It should be considered an "adventure ride."

The trail begins at the narrows where Leeds Creek enters the reservoir. There's no formal parking, and there are no signs to show you where to go. Pull off Highway 318 as it approaches a T intersection with Old Highway 91. Park there. Find the path heading northeast, then east along the creek. The creek crossing is 1/4 mile from parking, where the creek widens and enters the reservoir. (You're there if you see a rope swing.) At lower water, there may be a pallet or something else to help you across. At high water, you'll need to cross the creek on a couple of downed trees. The tree crossing is tricky if you're packing a bike without another rider to help.

The creek crossing. This picture misses 5 feet of water closer to shore before the tree even clears the surface.

Looking back west just after starting the ride.

Once you've found the trail, just head east. The trail starts as red dirt studded with volcanic boulders. This persists through the first couple of meanders.

A 6.5-mile out-and-back will have 950 vertical feet of climbing. It will be more work than you'd expected.

After around 0.5 mile the trail reaches white clay. Now it dips and rolls as you follow the contours of multiple drainages. The riding is similar to nearby Twist & Shout and lower Rhythm & Blues , but harder -- both in effort and skill level

As the trail meanders around, there will be some spots where a gooseneck brings two sections of trail close to each other. Do not, DO NOT, cut through to make a shortcut. Stay on the official path.

View to the south.

Nice view. My bike is loving this.

The trail repeated descends as it approaches the lake, then turns and climbs along the edge of a wash.

Some of the trail feels "finished" while other bits are quite raw. These are intermixed along the length of the trail. Plush stretches are stuck between unfinished parts that are little more than flag-line. It's unlikely you'll do the whole thing without walking over several "to be fixed later" spots.

At mile 3.5 from parking, the trail dead-ends (January 2020).

Map of northern Quail Creek

Getting there:
Take the Highway 9 (Hurricane) exit from I-15. Drive 3 miles east. Turn left on Highway 318 (at the traffic light) toward Quail Creek State Park. Drive north, all the way past the end of the reservoir. Just as you approach the T intersection with Old Highway 91 near the Harrisburg KOA, find a parking spot on your right. Follow the path downhill then east 1/4 mile to a broad area along the creek with a rope-swing. That's the creek crossing. The trail is on the other side.

Track file (from secondary one-car trailhead): Quail North