Willow Creek Hike
Hike Rating: Difficult
Hike
Length: 8.2 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,320’
Trailhead Elevation: 5,800’
Best Season: June through September
Driving Access: Any vehicle,
when dry
Plus
Points
• A challenging cross-country hike to the high plateau and
rim of Hart Mountain
• Scenic aspen groves within the cow-free stream canyon of
Willow Creek
• Long views to the east of Steens Mtn., the Catlow Rim and
the Pueblo Mtns.
• Pronghorn antelope and mule deer are commonly spotted on
the high plateau
• From the rim, panoramic vistas west to the Warner Valley
lakes and wetlands
• Potential bighorn sheep sightings on rock ledges at the
rim
Minus
Points
• No established trail, but
game trails are numerous enroute to the rim
• No trees or shade on the high plateau, so it’s best to
start in early AM on hot days
• Afternoon thunderstorms can present a lightning hazard on
the rim and plateau
Download
(PDF, 572 KB): Photos of Willow Creek
Hike
Download
(PDF, 823 KB): Topo Map for Willow Creek
Hike
Download
(GPX, 4 KB): GPS Points for Willow Creek
Hike
Download
(PDF, 576 KB): Road Map for Willow Creek
Hike
Trail
Notes
The hike
begins at the “Road Closed” marker, just above a wide
grassy swale, and follows a faint jeep track up this swale
toward the mouth of Willow Creek, visible to the southwest.
At about 0.8 miles, after ascending the broad alluvial fan
of Willow Creek, one reaches the canyon itself. Here it’s
best to cross to the south side of the creek and follow an
old cattle trail up the canyon along the south bank. This
0.3 mile section of canyon is narrow and the route can be
brushy and rocky in spots, but if one perseveres, the
canyon soon widens and the terrain becomes easier.
Where the canyon widens, the best route is not to descend
into the tree-choked channel of Willow Creek, but to stay
up high in the low sagebrush along the edge of the aspen
groves. Following the edge of the trees to the southwest,
the route eventually climbs uphill away from the creek to
Notch 6615 (GPS Point 2).
From Notch
6615, one can see a treeless tributary creek that has cut
eastward down through the high plateau, about a half mile
south of the main Willow Creek canyon. The hiking route
contours around and down into this tributary creek and
follows game trails up this creek to the top of the plateau
(at GPS Point 3). Once on top of the plateau, the route
bears west to the edge of the Willow Creek canyon, but
stays high above the canyon as it ascends westward into the
upper basin (to GPS Point 4).
The route then crosses the
grassy swale of upper Willow Creek and continues 0.6 miles
west to the rim (GPS Point 5). At the rim, one has
panoramic views up and down the Warner Valley over 2,500’
below. Look for bighorn sheep here on rock ledges just
below rim. Return as you came.
Road to Trailhead
From the
headquarters of the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, drive
about 0.5 miles northwest on the main refuge road to a dirt
road on the left (southwest). There may be a small sign
here to Willow Creek. Turn on this dirt road and go about
1.4 miles south and west, keeping right at all road
junctions, to a “Road Closed” marker before a broad, grassy
swale. When dry, this dirt road is passable by any
passenger car.
Camping
Options
The nearest
developed campground is the Hot Springs Campground on the
refuge itself, about 6 driving miles south from the
trailhead and about 4 miles south of the Refuge
Headquarters. It has 30 free sites of various sizes, from
small tents to large RVs, plus a vault toilet and an
enclosed public hot springs. There is no drinking water at
this campground, but it can be obtained at the Refuge
Headquarters. The campground has a camp host in the summer
and is managed by the USF&WS.
The next nearest developed campground is Camp Hart
Mountain, an old CCC camp located in the Warner Valley
about 10 driving miles southwest from the trailhead and
about 15 miles north of Plush on the paved road to the Hart
Mountain Antelope Refuge (Road 3-12). This campground has 9
free campsites that will accommodate any size camping rig,
vault toilets and drinking water. It has a camp host during
the summer and is also managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Agency
Contact: Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge,
(541) 947-2731 or (541) 947-3315
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: 1/16/13