Soda Springs Trail #1009

Dogs Off-leash

Features Spring

The Soda Springs Trail #1009 starts at a lower trailhead near Camp Latgawa at the end of the Little South Fork Butte Creek Road. This trailhead has been "temporary" for 22 years, since the flood of 1997 washed out part of Conde Creek Road. From here the trail crosses Dead Indian Creek on a rickety bridge built by the camp, then follows an old road for a short distance to another trail that passes colorful Dead Indian Soda Springs to a wooden bench above another crossing of the creek. The trail up to this point is obvious and well-used. There is no bridge at this crossing and passing the creek involves wading (DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS DURING HIGH WATER! The current is fast and the rocks are slick.) or crossing on a fallen log.

Once across, the trail contours down-canyon to a junction. The Soda Springs Cutoff trail goes straight ahead down through Camp Latgawa to the trailhead and is the easy way to reach the #1009 without any creek crossings. The #1009 goes up from this junction. From here to the upper trailhead it's presently (2019) obvious that the trail has received no maintenance in a long, long time. Although still listed by the Forest Service, it has essentially been abandoned. Following it from here on requires good navigation skills, as well as looking for cut logs, old chopped blazes, newer painted blazes, and the slight depression indicating a tread.

About two miles up from the trailhead, the trail is presently often obscured by fallen trees and branches. Over the remaining mile to the upper trailhead, the trail appears sporadically – only to disappear again and again under fallen debris or encroaching brush. There are brief sections that were good, but not many. The upper trailhead is just a clearing at the end of a forest road.