South Fork Big Pine Creek
South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail is a 4.7-mile trail in Inyo National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1 to 2, minimally developed to moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters John Muir Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Inyo 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 | 37.1247° N, 118.4390° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.0913° N, 118.4578° 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 5 segments.
The trail
| Length | 4.7 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed; 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent |
| Typical tread width | 24-36 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 3207 |
| Forest | Inyo National Forest (unit 0504) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | management 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
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 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.
Wilderness
- John Muir WildernessFS · about 61% 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
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
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
- PrescribedGrant Grove Fall Rx
38 mi from the trail midpoint · 466 acres
- PrescribedRx White Deer
46 mi from the trail midpoint · 35 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Guidebooks for Inyo National Forest and California
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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 South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
The Forest Service records 4.7 miles under this name in Inyo National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail start?
The line begins at 37.1247° N, 118.4390° W and ends at 37.0913° N, 118.4578° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters John Muir Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: John Muir Wilderness
Where can I camp near the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
Upper Sage Flat (0.3 mi), Big Pine Creek Campground (0.4 mi) and Big Pine Canyon (1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
Trail class 1 to 2, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed to moderately 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 South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Fork Big Pine 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 South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
Inyo National Forest, Forest Service unit 0504. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the South Fork Big Pine Creek Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grant Grove Fall Rx at 38 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named South Fork Big Pine Creek in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0504. 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.