California · Trail 5470

South Garden Gulch

South Garden Gulch Trail is a 10-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 Trinity Alps 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 end41.0990° N, 123.0708° W · Directions ↗
Other end41.1606° N, 122.9672° 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

Length10 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers5470
ForestKlamath National Forest (unit 0505)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedbasic 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Garden Gulch Trail30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.4°F averageFebruary: 41.2°F averageMarch: 46.0°F averageApril: 50.7°F averageMay: 58.7°F averageJune: 65.5°F averageJuly: 74.1°F averageAugust: 72.1°F averageSeptember: 67.2°F averageOctober: 53.5°F averageNovember: 43.4°F averageDecember: 36.5°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Cecilville, 5 miles from the trail midpoint at 2,310 feet, station USC00041606 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. The station sits about 3,000 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Wilderness

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

Garden Gulch Trailhead (TAW)
No season published
0.3 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
    Five-6 Understory Rx

    26 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Ew 10 Rx

    26 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Srf 2026 Rx Implementation

    29 mi from the trail midpoint · 500 acres

  • Prescribed
    Hayfork Watershed Rx

    40 mi from the trail midpoint

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Trinity Alps Wilderness and California

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

  • Hiking California's Trinity Alps Wilderness
    Dennis Lewon, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    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 South Garden Gulch Trail?

The Forest Service records 10 miles under this name in Klamath National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the South Garden Gulch Trail?

Klamath National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.

Source: Klamath National Forest official page

Where does the South Garden Gulch Trail start?

The line begins at 41.0990° N, 123.0708° W and ends at 41.1606° N, 122.9672° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Garden Gulch Trailhead (TAW), 0.3 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the South Garden Gulch Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Trinity Alps Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Trinity Alps Wilderness

Where can I camp near the South Garden Gulch Trail?

East Fork Campground (2.8 mi), Shadow Creek Campground (4.7 mi) and Hidden Horse Campground (4.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Klamath National Forest official page

How developed is the South Garden Gulch 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 South Garden Gulch Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the South Garden Gulch Trail?

Klamath National Forest, Forest Service unit 0505. The trail is in California.

Source: Klamath National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the South Garden Gulch Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Five-6 Understory Rx at 26 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named South Garden Gulch 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.