Pauley Creek Trail

Head up the narrow valley, cross over the footbridge and soon you top out in wide-open, lush Gold Valley. Big trees, meadows, flowers, fishing, and picnicking make this a great day. The trail itself is moderate; the difficulty is getting there.

To Pauley Creek Trail

Topographic Maps: Downieville, Sierra City, Gold Lake. See Butcher Ranch, Third and Second Divide, and Big Boulder Trails. Don’t forget shuttle bus option from Downieville to Packer Saddle. From Butcher Ranch Trailhead, follow that trail for 1.7 miles to the junction with Pauley Creek. Head north (right) up Pauley Creek Trail until you reach OHV road in Gold Valley. From there, you have several options. (1) Left (west) via Big Boulder Trail: follow this OHV road toward Smith Lake and Big Boulder Mine and continue down the Big Boulder Trail (see above). (2) Right (east) by climbing the OHV route to logging road #93.3. Then right again (south) and follow this good road to Butcher Ranch and Packer Saddle.

Communities

• Bassetts
• Sierra City