Difference between revisions of "Marble Valley Hike"
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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[[Category:Northern California]] | [[Category:Northern California]] | ||
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[[Category:Marble Mountain Wilderness]] | [[Category:Marble Mountain Wilderness]] | ||
[[Category:Moderate Hikes]] | [[Category:Moderate Hikes]] | ||
Revision as of 21:06, 23 October 2016
- Start point: Lovers Camp Trailhead
- End point: Lovers Camp Trailhead
- Trail Log:
- Hike Type: Loop or Out-and-Back
- Distance: 13 miles
- Elevation gain: 2,400 feet
- High Point: 6,400 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer, Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No (except weekends in Summer)
Contents |
Hike Description
This hike accesses Marble Valley and the Sky High Lakes from Lovers Camp and is the most popular trail in the Wilderness. The trail up Canyon Creek is about a 7 mile hike of moderate difficulty and, along with its connecting trails (including the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), offers dramatic scenery and excellent camping. Hikers can expect to share the trail with horse traffic. This trail passes beneath the essence of the Wilderness Area - Marble Mountain itself. A side trip to the Marble Rim is worth the effort. This is a great choice for a two or three day backpacking trip - a loop through Little Marble Valley, through Sky High Lakes, with a stop at Shadow Lake or day hikes to the ridges above the valley can be accomplished in three days with minimal effort. If you plan to backpack, get a free permit at the USFS ranger station in Fort Jones, CA.
The Canyon Creek trail leaves the Lovers Camp trailhead going west and, after 3.3 miles, comes to a trail junction. Going right (or straight ahead) here will take you, in 0.6 miles, to the Forest Service cabin in the Marble Valley and a junction with the PCT. Going left at the 3.3 mile junction will take you on a loop through the Sky High Lakes and then up to the PCT, which you can then follow north back to the cabin in Marble Valley. If you go to the cabin first, you can continue south on the PCT to a saddle at about 6250' for a view north of Marble Mountain and the Marble Rim. This is a good out-and-back option. Sadly, the area west of this saddle (toward Big Elk Lake) was ravaged by a forest fire in 2014 and is, at present, not a very attractive place to hike.
For a longer hike, go to the cabin and then south on the PCT past Shadow Lake (a worthwhile side trip or good place to camp) to a junction with the Red Rock Valley trail. Turning east (left) on that trail will return you to the Lovers Camp trailhead in about 5.2 miles, for a loop hike of about 16 miles.
NOTE: Cows may be present during the summer months.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Marble Valley Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Marble Valley Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon by William L. Sullivan (Third Edition, Hike #89)
More Links
Page Contributors
- VanMarmot (creator)