Coleman Rim Hike
Hike Rating: Moderate
Hike
Length: 4.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 800’
Trailhead Elevation: 6,420’
Best
Season: June through September
Driving Access: Any vehicle,
once
access road is snow-free and
dry
Plus
Points
• Dramatic, panoramic views from a mile-long rock
escarpment
• A nominated Wilderness Area, featuring pristine mountain
lion habitat
• Old growth forests of white fir and ponderosa have never
been logged
• Wildflowers, aspen groves and possibly sandhill cranes on
the approach hike
• Can be almost assured of solitude on this trek
Minus
Points
• No official trail, so it's a moderate cross-country hike
up to the rim
• Mosquitoes can be bothersome in Shepard Camp Meadow
Download
(PDF, 617 KB): Photos of Coleman Rim
Hike
Download
(PDF, 452 KB): Topo Map for
Coleman Rim Hike
Download
(GPX, 4 KB): GPS Points for
Coleman Rim Hike
Download
(PDF, 528 KB): Road Map for
Coleman Rim Hike
Trail
Notes
The hike
starts where Road 024 crosses Shepard Camp Creek, on the
south bank at GPS Point 1. For the first half mile, the
trail follows an old jeep double-track, then a single-track
cow trail, up the dry southern edge of Shepard Camp Meadow.
Look for sandhill cranes here. At the head of the meadow,
keep following the creek bed uphill and southeast through
mature fir and ponderosas to GPS Point 2.
At GPS Point 2, turn due east and climb gradually but
steadily through open forest to the rim at GPS Point 3.
Here you’ll find dramatic views to the east of the prairies
and forests in the headwaters of the Chewaucan River
Valley.
Even better
views can be found a half mile southeast along the rim at
GPS Point 4. There is no trail along the rim, but it’s easy
to pick your way through the rocks. Remarkable here are the
ancient, but stunted, fir and pine trees standing close to
the rim's edge. Mountain lion sightings are also possible
here. After lunch and a rest on the rim top, retrace your
steps back to the trailhead below.
Road
to Trailhead
The trailhead is easily accessible on good quality roads
that can be traveled by any passenger car. From paved Road
3360, turn northeast on gravel Road 024 and drive about 1
mile to a road junction at the south edge of Lantern Flat.
Bear right at this junction and continue on Road 024
approximately 0.9 miles to where it crosses Shepard Camp
Creek. Park at a pullout on the south side of the creek,
where the hike begins.
Camping
Options
If
self-contained with your own water and sanitation,
dispersed camping is an option at Lantern Flat, just a mile
from the trailhead. On the north edge of this flat is an
old USFS fire camp, but no developed camping facilities. To
reach this site from the road junction at the south edge of
Lantern Flat, bear left on Road 013 (instead of going right
on Road 024 to the trailhead).
Follow Road 013 northeast for about 0.2 miles, where a dirt
side road drops to the right onto the flat. Before turning
off Road 013, however, it's a good idea to walk out onto
the flat and check the conditions, as the road and
campsites can be muddy into late June. Also be prepared for
lots of mosquitoes here, coming off the wet meadows.
The nearest developed campground is the Corral Creek Forest
Camp, located about 5 miles north of the trailhead, off
paved Road 34. Here are six free, nicely spaced campsites
in a meadow and lodgepole pine setting, surrounded by a
rail fence. This campground has a vault toilet, but no
drinking water. Any size camping rig can find a place here.
Agency
Contact: Fremont National Forest, Bly
District, (541) 353-2427
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local federal land agencies to
inquire about current conditions before traveling.
Page last updated: 12/23/11