Hanan Trail - West End
NOTE:
The Hanan Trail and environs burned in Watson Creek Fire of
August 2018. It may be a few years before this area
recovers for recreational use.
Hike Rating: Easy
Hike
Length: 6.5 miles roundtrip (variable)
Elevation Gain: 400’
Trailhead Elevation: 6,660’
Best
Season: June through September
Driving Access: Any vehicle,
once
access road is
snow-free
Plus
Points
• Headwaters of a Wild-and-Scenic river, with
extensive wet meadows
• Lots of wildflowers until late summer, due to many seeps
and springs
• Historical route, a legacy of both Native American and
pioneer cultures
• Abundant obsidian chip scatters along the trail
• Well-built trail, with gentle grade and footbridges
across side creeks
• Easy trailhead access, just off paved road (details
below)
Minus
Points
• The surrounding lodgepole forests are mostly
beetle-killed and a bit ghostly
• Cows may be present along the stream and in the meadows
Download
(PDF, 696 KB): Photos of Hanan Trail -
West
Download
(PDF, 444 KB): Topo Map for
Hanan Trail - West
Download
(PDF, 528 KB): Road Map for
Hanan Trail - West
Trail
Notes
For the first
mile, the trail winds through wet meadows and beetle-killed
lodgepole pines. The trail is easy walking, on a gentle
grade, with rock and log footbridges over the seeps and
creeks. At one mile, the trail enters an open sage flat on
the edge of an immense wet meadow, with abundant
wildflowers and good views of the surrounding mountains.
Look for obsidian chip scatters along the trail.
The trail then skirts the edge of this big meadow for about
a mile before heading back into the trees along the stream
(now only about a yard wide). For the third mile of the
hike, the trail passes through pines and narrow “stringer
meadows,” sometimes near the creek and sometimes away from
it.
Just past the
three mile point, the trail again enters open, dry sage
flats above a second huge wet meadow. This second meadow
provides a nice hike destination and a great place to
explore, especially during wildflower season. Look for
red-tailed hawks cruising over the grasslands. There are
several nice lunch spots under the shade trees around the
meadow or back down the stream corridor.
Road to Trailhead
The trailhead is easily accessible, just off paved Road 28,
where it crosses the Sycan River. Here you’ll find a
rail-fenced parking area called the Sycan Trailhead Forest
Camp (which has been completely cleared of beetle-killed
trees), along with a vault toilet.
Camping
Options
If you can handle the open exposure and the cleared trees,
you can camp right at the Sycan Trailhead Camp. There's
plenty of space for any type of camping rig, plus a vault
toilet — but no drinking water and not much in the way of
natural amenities.
If you are
self contained with your own water and sanitation, there
are several nice dispersed campsites starting two miles
north of the trailhead along Road 28, west off the paved
road and next to the stream. These are pull-off areas in
the meadows and trees along the Sycan River.
About 4 miles north of the trailhead on Road 28 is the Rock
Creek Forest Camp. This is a small, developed campground
between the road and the Sycan River, with six free
campsites and a pit toilet, but no potable water supply. It
is a bit primitive and exposed to the road, but there are a
few nice sites along the river at this forest camp.
Finally, there is the Pikes Crossing Forest Camp, about 12
driving miles northwest of the trailhead, off paved Road
30. It has six free campsites on a grassy bench above
Paradise Creek, where it joins the Sycan River. Many
beetle-killed lodgepole pines have been cleared from around
the campground. It has a pit toilet but no drinking water
and will accommodate any size camping rig.
Agency
Contact: Fremont National Forest,
Paisley District, (541) 943-3114
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: 12/22/11