California · Trail 26E6013

Grouse Creek

Grouse Creek Trail is a 13.7-mile snow trail in Sierra National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Sierra National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end37.2264° N, 119.2382° W · Directions ↗
Other end37.1622° N, 119.2012° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length13.7 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typesnow trail
Surfacesnow
Typical grade10-12 percent
Typical tread widthover 120 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers26E6013
ForestSierra National Forest (unit 0515)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Grouse Creek Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 8.47 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.80 inches of precipitationMarch: 6.80 inches of precipitationApril: 4.02 inches of precipitationMay: 2.42 inches of precipitationJune: 0.71 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.66 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.10 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.40 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.29 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.92 inches of precipitationDecember: 6.82 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.6°F averageFebruary: 33.8°F averageMarch: 36.1°F averageApril: 39.5°F averageMay: 46.0°F averageJune: 54.2°F averageJuly: 61.4°F averageAugust: 61.7°F averageSeptember: 55.9°F averageOctober: 47.4°F averageNovember: 39.9°F averageDecember: 34.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Huntington Lake, 2 miles from the trail midpoint at 7,020 feet, station USC00044176 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 44 inches a year.

Allowed uses

SnowmobileAllowed year-round
SnowshoeingAllowed year-round
Cross-country skiingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

Tamarack Ridge Trailhead
No season published
0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx White Deer

    30 mi from the trail midpoint · 35 acres

  • Prescribed
    Crooks Rx

    33 mi from the trail midpoint · 15 acres

  • Prescribed
    Grant Grove Fall Rx

    34 mi from the trail midpoint · 466 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Grouse Creek Trail?

The Forest Service records 13.7 miles under this name in Sierra National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Grouse Creek Trail?

Snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Grouse Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 37.2264° N, 119.2382° W and ends at 37.1622° N, 119.2012° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Tamarack Ridge Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Grouse Creek Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Grouse Creek Trail?

Billy Creek, Lower Campground (0.7 mi), Lower Billy Creek (0.7 mi) and Upper Billy Creek CG (0.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Grouse Creek Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Grouse Creek Trail?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is over 120 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Grouse Creek Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Grouse Creek Trail?

Sierra National Forest, Forest Service unit 0515. The trail is in California.

Source: Sierra National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Grouse Creek Trail?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx White Deer at 30 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Grouse Creek in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0515. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.