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South Fork Deep Creek Trail
Steady Climb Through a Rebounding Burn Area
By
brian
·
Sep 26th, 2017
South Fork Deep Creek
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Starting Place:
South Fork Deep Creek Trailhead
In 2012, the
Pine Creek Fire
(started by the spark of an excavator) burned a 12,000+ acre swath south of
Livingston, MT
. Today, it’s a scene of dead trees juxtaposed by the beautiful sight of forest rebirth.
The hike has no particular destination, but the creek and foliage make up for it – especially during the Fall. During wildflower season, the pinkish purple
Fireweed
lining the trail makes for a great sight too. A little after 3 miles in you’ll be greeted by a large boulder that provides some nice views looking back down the canyon with
The Hogback
in the
far
distance.
Flora
Shrubs and ground-cover plants like
Snowberries
and Oregon Grape (
Holly-Leaved Barberry
) are some of the most prominent plants in the area currently.
Rocky Mountain Maple
(which is more of a shrub than a "tree") lights up the canyon with orange during the Fall.
As mentioned in the intro, the forest burned to the ground in 2012, so the trees are still young and very small. At the time this guide’s writing (Fall 2017), the Lodgepole Pines were one-and-a-half feet tall or so.
Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Snowberries
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Rocky Mountain Maple
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
One-Sided Wintergreen
Orthilias
field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Oregon Grape
Hollyleaved Barberry
field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Mountain Ash
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Mullein
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Chamaenerion
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
Getting There
When driving from
Livingston
, take a left at the junction for Montana State Highway 540 at Carter’s Bridge. There will be a sign pointing to the
Carter’s Bridge Fishing Access
. From there, keep driving until you hit Deep Creek South Fork Road, which is subtly marked with a small brown Forest Service access sign. At the end of the road is the trailhead:
South Fork Deep Creek Trailhead
(also signed as "Deep Creek Trailhead").
South Fork Deep Creek Trailhead
Trailhead
in
Gallatin NF
,
Rocky Mountains
near
Livingston
,
MT
Other Notes
There is a primitive log footbridge shortly into the hike for crossing
South Fork Deep Creek
. It’s a little narrow and there’s no railing, so if traveling with someone elderly, it’s something to
possibly
be aware of – though not much of an obstacle. Could be higher stakes during runoff season?
Foot Bridge
Field note
Sep 24th, 2017
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