Trip Report
Day Hike - Copper Creek
Steep but pleasant and relatively uncrowded hike near the northwest end of Lake Cushman.
Nancy Lloyd
- Mon, May 29, 2017
- Day Hike - Copper Creek
- Copper Creek
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The Staircase Road no. 119 has been graded and is now easily passable. It is gravel and dusty, but hardly any potholes are left. The trail is also is good shape, although it is narrow in places and care is needed descending slippery dirt surfaces above the creek. People are doing this hike with dogs and tennis shoes, but good traction is needed because a slip/fall in several areas can result in serious injury. We did the loop clockwise; three or four tiny snow patches were left just before gaining the ridge.
Very little parking space at the trailhead, cars parked along the road. We opted to park at the Dry Creek trailhead instead and walk an extra about 0.3 of a mile due to suspicious activity at Copper Creek and evidence of car break-ins; Dry Creek is more visible and Copper Creek more isolated.
A fun hike on a warm beautiful day, lots of lush green and trilliums in bloom. Views of Lightening Peak showed it with quite a bit of snow still. A short side trip into an abandoned copper mine on the way back was a cool and interesting treat.