My good friend Bob Madison, wife Billie, sister Kit, faithful dog Baxster, and I got lots of exercise while witnessing the aftermath of the Carr Fire on our hike to beautiful Boulder Creek Falls.
We saw many downed trees and numerous large washouts along the way. There were also many beautiful flowering plants, and the falls were as magnificent as ever.
Among the flowering plants we saw were yarrow, California buckeye, spreading dogbane, fireweed, Kellogg’s monkeyflower, coyote mint, woolly sunflower, spicebush, Indian pink, and mock orange.
Because of erosion and downed trees, the very steep dirt road is gated 1.5 miles short of the usual parking area. Then, it’s another mile to Boulder Creek Falls. The out-and-back hike is at least five miles in length.
To get to this hike, drive west on Highway 299 to the the westernmost reach of Whiskeytown Lake and turn left at the Carr Powerhouse turnoff (South Shore Drive). Look for the sign on the right that reads “Boulder Creek Falls and Trail.” Turn right onto the dirt road and proceed 0.3 mile before turning right at the fork in the road. Park on the side of the road near the gate, and be sure to display a Park pass on the dashboard of your vehicle. Because of the steep grade of the first 1.5 miles of hiking, I would rate this hike as difficult. -Chris Harvey
