Back on January 18 of this year, I visited this trail in the good company of Shasta Chapter CNPS members Bob Madison, Shirley Martin, Judy Mauzey, Paula Crumpton, and Yo Sadohara. About the only color we saw that day was provided by the berries of the Toyon shrub. Fast forwarding to present, spring has transformed the landscape with many beautiful flowers!
Take the paved walkway from the parking lot, which steers you in an easterly direction, the way Clear Creek runs. Less than fifty yards ahead you’ll see a dirt path to the right. Not far along this path I spotted blue-eyed grass.
If you are sure-footed, you can continue to explore this rocky and sometimes steep path that eventually returns to the main trail. Otherwise, return to the paved walkway that soon turns into an easily traversed dirt trail. My pooch, Baxster, and I followed the trail downstream for a little over two miles before retracing our steps.
Other blooms we saw included yarrow, popcorn flowers, foothill poppies, several types of lupines, clarkia, woodland-stars, yellow salsify, monkeyflowers, Hartweg’s doll’s-lilies, jewelflowers, and broadleaf stonecrop.
To get to the Clear Creek Gorge Trailhead, drive west on Clear Creek Road. One mile beyond Honey Bee Road, look for the Clear Creek Gorge Overlook sign on the left-hand side of the road. -Chris Harvey
