Kelsey Creek
Kelsey Creek Trail is an 8.6-mile trail in Klamath National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Marble Mountain Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Klamath 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 end | 41.6499° N, 123.1137° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 41.6134° N, 123.2094° 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 is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 8.6 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Recreation Trail or other national designation |
| Trail numbers | 5530 |
| Forest | Klamath National Forest (unit 0505) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
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
Wilderness
- Marble Mountain WildernessFS · about 53% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Kelsey Trailhead No season published | under 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
- PrescribedSrf 2026 Rx Implementation
31 mi from the trail midpoint · 500 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Kelsey Creek Trail?
The Forest Service records 8.6 miles under this name in Klamath National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Kelsey Creek Trail?
Klamath National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Kelsey Creek Trail start?
The line begins at 41.6499° N, 123.1137° W and ends at 41.6134° N, 123.2094° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Kelsey Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Kelsey Creek Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Marble Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Marble Mountain Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Kelsey Creek Trail?
Indian Scotty Campground (2 mi) and Lovers Camp (3.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Kelsey 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 Kelsey Creek Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Kelsey Creek Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Kelsey Creek Trail?
Klamath National Forest, Forest Service unit 0505. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Kelsey Creek Trail?
The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Srf 2026 Rx Implementation at 31 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named Kelsey Creek in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0505. 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.