making its way uphill but staying about 50 feet above the clear waters of Siouxon Creek. About 0.9 mile from the trailhead is the signed junction with the Horseshoe Ridge Trail (Trip 4).
The Siouxon Creek Trail goes straight and does a series of small ups and downs, alternating between creek-level flats covered with a tangle of junglelike vegetation, and hillsides sprouting tall cedars, firs, and hemlocks. Several tiny tributary creeks cross the trail, providing ample water for plants like devil’s club and salmonberry. You cross Horseshoe Creek on a plank bridge just above lacy Horseshoe Creek Falls and, about 100 yards later, come to a junction with a 180-yard spur trail to a viewpoint at the base of the falls.
About 0.2 mile after Horseshoe Creek Falls is a camp with a little wooden bench where you can sit and enjoy a classic view of nearby Siouxon Falls, a twisting cataract with a deep swimming hole at its base. A short distance farther upstream is a smaller waterfall with an equally good but not-as-popular swimming hole. At both locations the water is very cold. As you continue hiking on this lovely path, you pass numerous unsigned side trails leading to terrific campsites and lunch spots that are perfect places for the kids to play or for adults to quietly contemplate nature.
Horseshoe Creek Falls
About 0.8 mile above Siouxon Falls is the unsigned junction with the upper end of the Horseshoe Ridge Trail bearing uphill to the right. You stay straight on the lower path and walk 0.7 mile to a second junction right next to a bridge. The official Siouxon Creek Trail continues straight, reaching Forest Road 58 in about 4.5 miles. A more attractive route turns left and crosses the bridge above a deep pool of water. You then climb past two excellent camps and follow Chinook Creek upstream to the base of Chinook Falls, a 50-foot drop over a sheer cliff.
You can turn around here, but for even more scenery, you can cross Chinook Creek and traverse a hillside to a junction with the Chinook Trail. Turn left here and travel downhill for 0.5 mile to a simple crossing of Wildcat Creek, a little above where this stream joins Siouxon Creek. To visit 100-foot-high Wildcat Falls, turn right at a junction and climb 0.2 mile to a viewpoint at the base of this falls. To close out the trip, either return the way you came, or, if it is late summer and you are willing to get wet, turn left at the junction below Wildcat Falls and drop to a knee-deep ford of Siouxon Creek. Wading shoes and a walking stick may come in handy, depending on the water level. On the opposite bank, an obvious use trail climbs about 100 feet back to the Siouxon Creek Trail.
TRIP 4 Horseshoe Ridge Loop
| Distance | 10.4 miles, Loop | |
| Elevation Gain | 2700 feet | |
| Hiking Time | 6 to 7 hours | |
| Optional Map | Green Trails Lookout Mountain | |
| Usually Open | April to early November | |
| Best Times | May and June | |
| Trail Use | Dogs OK, horseback riding | |
| Agency | Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Gifford Pinchot National Forest | |
| Difficulty | Difficult | |
| Note | Good in cloudy weather |
HIGHLIGHTS Exercise is the principal attraction of this hike. The infrequent views are generally limited to ridges covered with clear-cuts. So this is a good hike to tackle in gloomy weather, as you won’t feel like you missed anything. The relatively low elevation ensures that this trail opens earlier in the season than most others in the Cascades.
DIRECTIONS Begin by driving to Battleground, either by going north on State Highway 503 from Interstate 205, or by going east on State Highway 502 from Exit 9 off Interstate 5. From the intersection of the two state highways in the middle of Battleground, drive north on Highway 503 for 16.8 miles, and turn right on N.E. Healy Road just after you pass the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument headquarters.
After 9.2 miles on N.E. Healey Road, bear left at a poorly signed junction and travel on single-lane, paved Forest Road 57. Drive another 1.3 miles, and then turn sharply left on often unsigned Forest Road 5701. Follow this rough, paved road for 3.7 miles to its end at a trailhead parking lot.
The trail departs from the north side of the lot and drops 50 feet to an intersection with the Siouxon Creek Trail. You turn right here, drop to a bridged crossing of West Creek, and then continue another 0.8 mile through lovely creekside forests to a signed junction with the Horseshoe Ridge Trail.
You turn right here and climb away from the creek on a grade that starts off fairly steep but soon becomes very steep. More than 20 switchbacks of varying length help to lessen the grade slightly, but at other times the trail simply goes directly up the extremely steep slopes. The trail is also quite narrow, so watch your step. After about 1.5 miles you reach a minor ridge crest, after which things get a lot easier.
The trail turns left to follow the ridge, sometimes climbing in steep sections and sometimes going along at a welcome level grade. Most of the trees are either western hemlock or Douglas fir, while salal, beargrass, and Oregon grape cover the ground. You pass a small rocky overlook with a decent view to the west and then travel on or near the narrow crest of woodsy Horseshoe Ridge.
The gentle path along this ridge does some short ups and downs to avoid rock outcrops but mostly stays level. Along the way you leave the forest three times and go through small, sloping meadows with lots of ground-hugging juniper bushes and a few scattered wildflowers.
After a long, very gradual climb you eventually make a couple of small switchbacks just before the ridge widens and the trail curves to the left. From here the path gradually loses about 200 feet and comes to the end of a dirt road where there is a small hunter’s camp. Pick up the trail on the opposite side of the camp and follow it over a low rise and then down a short distance to a second isolated gravel road.
To resume the trail, turn left on the road and 25 yards later bear right onto a signed foot trail. Staying on the east side of the ridgeline, this generally level route goes along a viewless ridge with lots of beargrass. After about 1 mile you begin to descend very steeply for 0.6 mile. Once you reach the first of four long switchbacks, the trail is much better graded and remains so all the way down the densely forested slopes to an unsigned junction with Siouxon Creek Trail.
To return to your car, turn left and walk this easy and very scenic route for 2.1 miles, as it passes Siouxon and Horseshoe Creek falls back to the lower junction with the Horseshoe Ridge Trail.
TRIP 5 Moulton Falls Trails
| Distance |
2.5 miles, Point-to-point
|
