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| Karen Bakerville Smith Memorial Trail |
Happy New Year, Trail Heads! In 2021, we're offering three hiking recommendations each month. For those new to hiking or recovering from an injury or surgery or just wanting to ease into fulfilling a resolution, we'll have a suggestion for an easy stroll. For experienced hikers wanting something to change-it-up a little, we'll have a moderate option. For folks who are in shape and want to test themselves, we'll highlight a challenging trail.
This month, our easy option is the Karen Bakerville Smith Memorial Trail in Columbia State Historic Park. I "discovered" this lovely one-half mile interpretive loop in October and have been back with family and friends several times. I was excited to score a guided trip with Park Interpreter Kelly Leage. Our stroll among the oaks is the feature of this month's radio show. This is a short and sweet walk, appropriate for all ages and abilities. Those less sure-footed may want to bring hiking poles for stability in wet conditions or at the one or two very short, steep-ish spots. If a half-a-mile is too little for you, take the loop again. You can also add distance by:
- walking through the nearby Columbia Cemetery
- continuing your walk down into Columbia State Historic Park's downtown section
- after completing the KB Smith Memorial Trail, walk to south-east corner of the Columbia Elementary parking lot (.75 mile from the KB Smith Memorial Trail); look for the chuckle-inducing street sign "Airport Nature Trail" which is one end of the Frank Dondero Nature Trail; walk the Dondero Trail (a half-mile round trip); return to your vehicle at the KB Smith Memorial Trail. This would give you a walk of about 3 miles.
The trailhead for the Karen Bakerville Smith Memorial Trail is at the Historic Columbia Schoolhouse at 22956 School House St., Columbia. There's a parking area with a working bathroom. Also, there are picnic tables at the trailhead. There are benches along the trail and another picnic table at the "Poem Rock."
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| What's open/closed at Columbia SHP during the COVID-19 pandemic |
Our moderate hike is another one that is new to me: The Tower
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| Tower Climb/Carson Creek Trail |
The trailhead for the Tower Climb Trailhead is about a quarter mile inside the Glory Hole Recreation Area entrance kiosk. Look for the parking area on your left. There's also a vault toilet (clean & open!). The trail starts at the south-east end of the parking area. The trail goes downhill via switchbacks. You may want to bring hiking poles. At about 2.75 miles, the trail meets the Carson Creek Trailhead parking area (another vault toilet - clean & open). Walk through the parking lot, cross Whittle/Glory Hole Road, then veer right toward the very apparent dirt access road heading "straight up." This is your short, steep final push back to your vehicle. You can shorten the distance and eliminate the uphill by staging cars at the Tower Climb Trailhead and the Carson Creek Trailhead. There's an entry fee at Glory Hole Recreation Area (as well as at Tuttletown Recreation Area) which is covered if you display your America the Beautiful-National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass or Senior Lifetime Pass.
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| Middle Fork Stanislaus River China Flat/Sand Bar Flat Trail |
Finally, submitted for your approval, oh hiker seeking a challenge: the Middle Fork Stanislaus River from China Flat Day Use Area to Sand Bar Flat Campground (and back) -- 13 miles. This is one of my faves, and the "difficult hikers" and I walked about 10 miles of the route in early December. It started out cool and crisp then became sunny and warm; and because it took most of the day, it became cool and crisp again! This trail isn't particularly difficult; it's the length that offers the challenge. But there are rewards galore on this gorgeous hike -- the river as constant companion; experiencing the slightly different ecozones walking first on the north side then crossing the bridge and walking the south side of the canyon; the chance of seeing eagles, ducks, American Dippers, river otters, and bears; mossy rocks; Big-Leaf Maples and other deciduous trees. This is also an all-season hike, provided the road to Beardsley Lake is open. Highway 108 is at about 6,000' elevation at the Beardsley Lake turnoff, but the elevation at the China Flat Day Use Area is just over 3,000', putting the trail itself below snow level most of the time.
The trailhead for this hike is at China Flat Day Use Area, at the base of Beardsley Dam, near Strawberry. Take Beardsley Lake Road; descend to the dam and drive across; on the north side of the dam, make a sharp left. Drive down the dam face to the China Flat Day Use Area and park here. There are picnic tables and a vault toilet (open last time I was there). Walk west down the dirt road along the north side of the river. The road gradually narrows and the trail begins to the right of some large boulders. At about 3 miles, you'll cross the south side of the river via a footbridge. This is a good turn-around point if you want a shorter hike. I highly recommend continuing 3.5 miles further to Sand Bar Flat Campground; the south side of the river is breathtakingly lush.
Listen to January 2021's Tuolumne County Trailhead radio show, TCT #38 -- Karen Bakerville Smith Trail, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JQm3ALWhWoxhEYTsICYybTNRpZbXm5Pc/view?usp=sharing
Here's a link to the park brochure for Columbia State Historic Park (KB Smith Trail apparent on the map on page 5): https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/552/files/ColumbiaSHPFinalWeb2015.pdf
Here's a link to the Friends of Columbia State Historic Park: http://friendsofcolumbiashp.org/
Here's a link to a map of the hiking trails at Glory Hole Recreation Area (near Angels Camp), New Melones Lake: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/docs/maps/map-new-melones-lake-trail.pdf
Here's a link to the Stanislaus National Forest webpage for China Flat Day Use Area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recarea/?recid=77789
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