Hi everyone! Long time lurker first time poster here. Love the site!
A few friends and myself are thinking about backpacking next weekend, and I think the badger creek trail is going to be our best bet for the short time we have (the weekend).
I was curious if anyone had any information about the conditions this time of year, particularly, how buggy is it, and how bad are the snakes?
I also think we're up to do a few more miles than just 10 a day, we're shooting for more like 15 or more if the trail is as flat as it sounds, so if anyone has recommendations for lovely side trips to add a little more mileage that would be greatly appreciated.
As one last request, I think i will be getting off work late on Friday (6pm), assuming we get to the trailhead at the earliest 8:30pm, how feasible would it be to hike to the first campsite we could find and how far would that be? The page on the website says there are campsites every mile.
Thanks for your help everyone! Looking forward to many lovely adventures this season!
Badger Creek
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retired jerry
- Posts: 14424
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Badger Creek
I don't think there'de be any rattle snakes, I think they'de be at lower elevations, and if there were, just don't step on them
Of course there's a campground right at the trailhead. And places along the trail right at the beginning. And the undergrowth is fairly sparse and it's fairly flat next to to the river so I think you could find a place within a mile or so.
Of course there's a campground right at the trailhead. And places along the trail right at the beginning. And the undergrowth is fairly sparse and it's fairly flat next to to the river so I think you could find a place within a mile or so.
Re: Badger Creek
We saw a rattlesnake on my trip up there a few weeks ago, the first one I'd seen there in quite a few trips.
I'm assuming the lake is open to driving in now to the best option might be to camp at Post Camp (7 miles in) and dayhike to the lake or up one of the side trails.
I'm assuming the lake is open to driving in now to the best option might be to camp at Post Camp (7 miles in) and dayhike to the lake or up one of the side trails.
Re: Badger Creek
Are you saying drive in 7 miles to post camp? Or hike in? We want to do a backpacking trip so driving in half way sounds like cheating unless you know of some side trails we can take to significantly increase our hike distance to ~15 miles a day. Hiking in 7 miles on the first day would be out of the question considering how late we're getting started.drm wrote:We saw a rattlesnake on my trip up there a few weeks ago, the first one I'd seen there in quite a few trips.
I'm assuming the lake is open to driving in now to the best option might be to camp at Post Camp (7 miles in) and dayhike to the lake or up one of the side trails.
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retired jerry
- Posts: 14424
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Badger Creek
He's saying to hike in and camp half way between Bonney Crossing (the east trailhead) and Badger Lake, because if you hike all the way to Badger Lake and camp, there will be cars there.
I'm not familiar with Post Camp, but there are many nice spots all along. Just investigate any little side trail going off towards the creek.
I'm not familiar with Post Camp, but there are many nice spots all along. Just investigate any little side trail going off towards the creek.
Re: Badger Creek
Right. The road comes in from a different direction (the south) over a high ridge. It doesn't follow Badger Creek. It's about 7 miles hike up Badger Creek to Post Camp, and there are a collection of good camps about a mile earlier in the vicinity of Pine Creek. Good camps thin out noticeably after Post Camp. From Post Camp, you can either hike up to the lake and back, or up the Post Camp Trail, which of course is right there. I've never been up it. A mile or two further up Badger Creek, there are other side trails. Expect at least a few downed trees but I think most of these trails were cleared in the last couple of years.
And as Jerry said, if you don't want to camp in the small campground across the road from the trailhead, there are nice backpacking camping spots along the creek very close in, like 15 and 30 minutes up. They get progressively farther apart the farther up you go.
And as Jerry said, if you don't want to camp in the small campground across the road from the trailhead, there are nice backpacking camping spots along the creek very close in, like 15 and 30 minutes up. They get progressively farther apart the farther up you go.
Re: Badger Creek
Got it.
I think depending on our timing we'll hike in to camp near pine creek on Friday eve or check out the Bonney crossing campground, though will we have to pay to camp at Bonney yet? Where should we expect to park the car?
Saturday we'll hike to the lake and back to post camp or explore a side trail.
Sunday i'm not too sure what we'll do, I guess we'll wing it and check the maps for a decent loop or just hike partways down a sidetrail and double back to get back to the trail head, though it would be nice to have an actual place to go to.
Hope the weather will be kind. Sounds like we might be in for some rain/tstorms.
I think depending on our timing we'll hike in to camp near pine creek on Friday eve or check out the Bonney crossing campground, though will we have to pay to camp at Bonney yet? Where should we expect to park the car?
Saturday we'll hike to the lake and back to post camp or explore a side trail.
Sunday i'm not too sure what we'll do, I guess we'll wing it and check the maps for a decent loop or just hike partways down a sidetrail and double back to get back to the trail head, though it would be nice to have an actual place to go to.
Hope the weather will be kind. Sounds like we might be in for some rain/tstorms.