Clear Creek NRT

The Clear Creek National Recreation Trail winds through the wild Siskiyou Wilderness and Klamath National Forest in far northern California. It's a multi-day undertaking whether you hike it out and back for 44 total miles, or whether you choose the more common option of having a shuttle pick you up at the other end of the 22-mile trail. You can start at either trailhead, though it's more popular to start at the northern trailhead (the Youngs Valley Trailhead on Forest Rte 18N07 off of Highway 199) and end at the southern trailhead (the No Mans Trailhead on Forest Rte 5E01 off of Highway 96 in Happy Camp). Many backcountry camping sites are available along the way. Trout Camp is one of the most popular. 

There's seemingly no end to the riches here, from prime birdwatching to gorgeous waterfalls. Wildflowers flourish in the spring and berries are abundant in summer. Scenery varies from dense shaded pine forests of rare Alaska and Port Orford cedar to open meadows with high grasses that wave in the mountain breezes. The trail follows rivers and streams for most of its length, including many prime fishing spots favored by in-the-know anglers. The area is known for its density of plant species, especially the rare Brewers spruce, also known as the "weeping spruce," and its wide variety of lilies. 

The Siskiyou Wilderness is also home to many wildlife species. For more off-beat trackers, many Bigfoot sightings have been reported in the area. Happy Camp even features an eighteen-foot-tall Bigfoot statue to welcome visitors. The area's wolverine, martin, and fisher species aren't quite as elusive as Bigfoot, but they are hard to find without the patience and insight of an expert naturalist. Spotted owls are another possible, but rare sighting here. You're more likely to see some of the area's more common and less shy species, which include elk, black bear, and bald eagles.

Will you and your expert tracker make the cover of Time for being the first to capture Bigfoot? Or will you just capture some great memories of one of the country's wildest and most beautiful places? Either way, you'll be glad you made your way out here.