Page updated: 2026-09-15

This is a new page intended to gather information about trail conditions to one place, based on my own visits or reliable sources. It is a work in progress.

With the die-off of red firs, and to a lesser degree white firs and western white pines, there will be a continually increasing number of down trees on the trails. The term ‘winter debris’ used to mean branches that came down during the winter, but now includes an almost continuous rain of debris from dead trees, year-round.

It is impossible for me to survey every trail in the wilderness every year, so I encourage other users to submit trail conditions. You can reply to this page, or send an email to allisondan52@icloud.com.

Buckskin Trail (15E16), shown on many maps, is an old trail, long unmaintained and very difficult to follow. The upper part was destroyed by a logging road. It should be removed from maps.

I have recently come to realize that GaiaGPS is not being properly updated. They claim that their maps are updated from Open Streets Map (OSM) from time to time, but there are trails shown on GaiaGPS that have not been in OSM in years, so some flaw maintains these out-of-date trails even through updates. I have been making some revisions to OSM data, but it is going slowly because I’m not that familiar with OSM. A learning curve!

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Trails that I have surveyed this season (2026) have their date bolded in the list below. All others have not yet been surveyed. There are a number of trails that I did not survey this year.

Bear Pen Trail | Big Spring Trail | Five Lakes Creek Trail | Five Lakes Trail | Granite Chief Trail | Greyhorse Trail | Hell Hole Trail upper | Hell Hole Trail lower | Hell Hole Trail (reservoir)| Little Needle route | Middle Fork Trail | Powderhorn Trail | Shanks Cove Trail | ‘Squaw’ Saddle Trail | Tahoe Rim Trail | Talbot Creek Trail | Tevis Cup Trail | Western States / Picayune Trail | Western States Trail (Olympic Valley) | Whiskey Creek Trail | PCT-a | PCT-b | PCT-c | PCT-d |PCT-e | PCTf

Bear Pen Trail (16E26), 4.4 km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/cIIKNISefO9z82DuULTuMvfF/

2025-07: Unmaintained. Route hard to follow in many areas with heavy winter debris, but can be followed with close attention, a few cut logs and rock ducks, difficult in wet area crossings; many down trees; no use this year; sign at Five Lake Creek junction is on ground; the GaiaGPS map route is poorly mapped and complete wrong about length

Big Spring Trail (16E17); 1.6km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/2q82kbIZrYD5xz0nnarfWcK8/

2026-09: Partially maintained. Acceptable condition from north junction with Five Lakes Creek Trail to south Big Springs, including route marking with rock ducks. Not maintained from there to south junction with Five Lakes Creek Trail, with 26 down trees and light to very heavy debris. Overall acceptable; 18 down trees, mostly in southern section, winter debris light to heavy. At crossing from usually dry creek above Big Spring, the two trail segments do not well connect. Use the dry creek bed , otherwise you will be in the Big Spring marsh.

Five Lakes Creek Trail (15E31), 7.5km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/G5AFbc8Tcj8qRbwv3FU8QIUj/

• Whiskey Camp to north Big Springs Trail (1.9km): 2026-09: Acceptable condition, 24 down trees, bypasses or step-overs established, brushed and winter debris cleared. Creeklet is very low.
• from north Big Springs Trail to Shanks Cove Trail (0.9km): 2026-09: Unmaintained. Trail is hard to find among a number of down trees, 44, and heavy winter debris. Junction with Shanks Cove Trail is obscure and the trail sign frequently on the ground. Recommend use of Big Springs Trail rather than this section of Five Lakes Creek Trail.
• from Shanks Cove Trail to south Big Springs Trail (0.5km): 2026-09: Unmaintained. Trail is seldom used and hard to follow, 10 down trees and moderate debris, trail through meadow is hard to find.
• from south Big Springs Trail to Diamond Crossing (4.1km): 2025-07 Unmaintained. Large number of down trees, brush moderate, several sections of tread are deeply eroded gully. Spring creeklet is reliable source of water. Bear Pen Creek is reliable source of water. Grouse Creek dry but Five Lakes Creek nearby.

Five Lakes Trail (16E13); 3.3km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/zJk2GZjZM9H6G8FNubYCYJ1q/

2026-09: Good condition; one dead leaning tree near lake; brush good; light winter debris; water only at Five Lakes basin end. Maintained by Truckee Trails Foundation.

Granite Chief Trail (15E23); access trail; 5.8km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/5TgsgoY6leJViFxhM7Uklm3n/

2026-07: Overall good condition; four down trees; minor brush; tread decent; water at mules ear meadow and upper fork of Washeshu Creek, and minor creeklets. Maintained by Truckee Trails Foundation.

Greyhorse Trail (15E13); 2.7km; https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/9f91d87f-4f6e-4355-b0b6-d49a0526a1e7/

2025-07: 45 down trees, about 25 additional trees have been chainsawed; debris light to heavy; brush mostly light except a few areas; mostly easy to follow, and is marked with pink flagging in some areas; water at crossing of Greyhorse Creek near bottom. The name of this trail is in confusion. A user-made sign, the only one at the trailhead, indicates this is Shanks Cove Trail, but unsure if this is official.

Hell Hole Trail upper (15E17);

2025-08: Unmaintained. Several new down trees, but all bypass or step-over, brush mostly light, winter debris mostly heavy, water in both forks of Buckskin Creek but low, Steamboat Creek dry.

Hell Hole Trail lower (15E17);

2025-08: Unmaintained. Trail is findable but many sections are rough, many down trees, winter debris moderate to heavy, brush mostly OK, no water; from the bottom of the trail, routes are very confused on the map and on the ground.

Hell Hole Trail (reservoir) (14E02); 7.2km; access trail; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/rsJA9TTXP5KWxzoDUpx0kMEo/

2025-08: Trail extends from Hell Hole Dam (access through gate on north side of dam) to Upper Hell Hole Campground. Two down trees (has been logged out), one easy and one hard; winter debris light; brush light, no water except two seeps that will dry

Little Needle route, not an official trail; https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.7/-120.2955/39.1821

2025-08: Unmaintained. Trail departs PCT just south of Middle Fork Trail (both unsigned) and ends at the outlet creek of Little Needle Lake; acceptable condition, one down tree

Middle Fork Trail (unofficial name); 2.5km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/rRrNmVBnpOwA43bDECAxSRej/

2026-07: No sign at PCT junction, no sign at Tevis Cup junction. Seven down trees, brush OK, tread generally OK except a few eroded sections, debris light to heavy. This trail was reconstructed last year but is rarely used.

Powderhorn Trail (15E15); 6.3km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/91mB9y4pvfK7pwhz1g2jUNvk/

2026-05: Overall acceptable condition except for down trees; down trees were chainsawed out last season by someone unknown, including the slide under log, but there are four new large trees down, smaller trees were cut by me, except for one tree just inside the wilderness boundary, the trail is now accessible to equestrians, which it has not been for years; trail from trailhead has many down trees, maybe better to just follow 4WD road instead; winter debris light to heavy (since last year!); lower and middle trail brushed but upper trail needs spot brushing; Powderhorn Creek flowing (bottom) of trail, creeklet flowing

Shanks Cove Trail (15E11); 7.6 km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/aHr5KwFyKaZSvJwzCxX51IVj/

• northern section, Greyhorse Trail on the ridge to Western States Trail: 2025-07: Unmaintained, 43 down trees; trail mostly easy to follow, except some dry meadows on the ridge, and climbing from seasonal creek to Western States Trail which is very brushy; debris mostly light be some heavy; no water. On some FS maps, this is trail 16E14, but numbering is not consistent.
• southern section, Five Lakes Creek Trail to Greyhorse Trail on the ridge: 2025-07: Unmaintained, 180 down trees, many old and some new; in general, trail followable by blazes and cut ends, but creek crossing is completely obscure, and resumption of climbing trail is hard to find; debris light to heavy; brushy from creek crossing to Shanks Cove; water at lower creek crossing and crossing at Shanks Cove; at Five Lakes Creek junction, trail sign is down and probably on ground, and junction is obscure

‘Squaw’ Saddle Trail (16E27); 1.2 km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/gRkzfpzwpnfOWW3eh2304Rdt/

2026-08: Overall good condition; winter debris light; fork of Five Lakes Creek pooled but not flowing

Talbot Creek Trail (16E21); 7.1km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/wKZqG5qjHPMxoazr2zsBJk6Z/

2026-07: Unmaintained. 44 down trees, most small, some sections becoming brushed in; winter debris moderate to very heavy. South crossing of Talbot Creek is dry, north crossing is flowing. No trail sign at south end, north end at junction with existing Tevis Cup Trail is well signed.

Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) Ward Creek section (19E00); access trail; 9.9km from PCT to Ward Creek Rd; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/eHjA4SghbHbUAVNUkE8GaTCi/

2026-06: Trail in good condition to Stanford Ridge, logged out; a few down trees from Stanford Ridge to PCT; tread good; brush light; water at Ward Creek bridge, and upper Ward Creek cascade but difficult access; minor snow patches remaining

Tevis Cup Trail (16E04); 10.9km;

2025-06: Unmaintained. Eastern section in decent condition, western section in good condition, middle section not surveyed this year (I followed the incomplete reroute for the middle), but is known for rough and soggy tread and thick riparian vegetation

Western States / Picayune Trail (16E10); 14.6km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/sWZ4INeH5vrReALHtsF8kEnr/

• eastern section, Whiskey Creek Camp to Shanks Cove Trail: 2026-07: 53 down trees, mostly small, brush mostly OK (brushed the first 1.4km last year), tread mostly OK but several rocky eroded sections, debris light to heavy; sign at junction is broken and lying on rock pile, but readable; creeklet is flowing and probably year-round
• western section, Shanks Cove Trail to Talbot TH: 2026-07: 73 down trees, many small, debris moderate to heavy, switchback down from Picayune saddle with heavy brush in spots, tread mostly OK but some very eroded sections, the few water structures need to be cleaned, trail hard to follow in a few riparian areas; Middle Fork is a rock-hop crossing; Talbot Creek is flowing well rock-hop crossing

Western States Trail (Olympic Valley) 16E10; 13.2km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/FQ4OlcapzWkdrXxFGDJa5rmQ/

2025-08: Overall good condition, four trees down on middle section (Palisades Tahoe). The eastern portion, maintained by Truckee Trails Foundation, is in very good condition, including new signing. The section west of Watson Monument is OK. Many creeklets cross the trail, but probably all will dry as the season progresses.

Whiskey Creek Trail (16E02), 0.7km; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/lthqONd6THqzo4fVid9V8ooo/

2026-09: Acceptable condition, five down trees, one slide-under; brushed; winter debris cleared; crossing of Whiskey Creek is a logjam, but can be crossed downstream. Whiskey Creek is very low for this time of year, and might dry completely.

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Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

Note that the division of the PCT into shorter segments is entirely my own invention, and is intended to ease trip planning that includes part but not all of the PCT easier.

• PCT-a; 2.8km; Granite Chief Trail to Tevis Cup Trail; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/eXMlF8G0tctoXg9kjm4vZjcg/; 2026-06: Overall good condition; upper Washeshu Creek flowing very well from the meadow; trail to Granite Chief saddle is about one-quarter covered in snow but the route is well established
• PCT-b; 1.6km; Tevis Cup Trail to Tevis Connector Trail (Middle Fork Trail); https://www.gaiagps.com/public/gJxO3DDriOsVooAf1ogkWiUw/: 2026-07: Overall good condition, has been logged out, light to moderate winter debris, brush mostly OK; water at Middle Fork American River crossing
• PCT-c; 3.4km; Tevis Connector Trail to Whiskey Creek Trail; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/pxiWytrahX1EwSf0Dp3Lvmkt/: 2026-07: Overall poor condition, 34 down trees, many small; winter debris light to moderate, brush OK but needs spot brushing; sign at Tevis Connector (Middle Fork Trail) junction is missing. Upper Whiskey Creek crossing is dry, gully creeklet is almost dry
• PCT-d; 1.5km; Whiskey Creek Trail to ‘Squaw’ Saddle Trail; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/QtFOfQL7ZApBpqgPQIRZWh9X/: 2026-06: Overall good condition, one down tree can be stepped around; winter debris light; brush OK; water at spring creeklet.
• PCT-e; 9.9km; ‘Squaw’ Saddle Trail to TRT; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/9IJPtPSaMYLiPm6FjxViLeeR/: 2026-06: Overall poor condition; 51 down trees on switchbacks from Five Lakes Creek; tread generally OK but very rocky south of Ward Peak; brush OK but closing in; some snow patches; water only in Five Lakes Creek
• PCT-f; 8.4km; TRT to Barker Pass; https://www.gaiagps.com/public/CihdAHkzOrNUXncWTIH83eVh/: 2026-06: Overall poor condition; 59 trees down, including up to 24 inches; winter debris light to heavy; brush mostly light; water at spring creeklets in North Fork Blackwood Canyon, and creeklets in Blackwood Canyon