Jump to content

Gold Creek maps

By ZsDadXCw,
in Northwest

 Share

Recommended Posts

Proficient

ZsDadXCw

Posted
Posted

I am planning a trip to Gold Creek lodge in July. Where is the best place to get good trail maps? The obvious answer would be forest service but I have found that there are often better options. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

mtdirtbag

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, ZsDadXCw said:

 

I am planning a trip to Gold Creek lodge in July. Where is the best place to get good trail maps? The obvious answer would be forest service but I have found that there are often better options. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

trails.idaho.gov, takes awhile to figure out how to use it; also, goldcreeklodge.com has a trails section which looks to be from the Idaho trails map.

Edited by mtdirtbag
add'l info
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Tye Durden

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, ZsDadXCw said:

 

I am planning a trip to Gold Creek lodge in July. Where is the best place to get good trail maps? The obvious answer would be forest service but I have found that there are often better options. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

Call or email and ask 'em at the lodge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)

Its worth checking out. Its in the middle of the national forest on the southern tip of lake pend O'Reille (pend'o'ray). An.hour away from Coeur D'Alene. Its basically a dirt bike lodge with a full restaurant/bar and shop attached. All the good stuff. Rooms to rent in their lodge or camp sites. 

Spent some time there last Sumer. The riding there is simply amazing. Its a different kind of single track. Lots more elevation change. 

I recommend #4 Independence Trail to ride into the valley and then up Declaration. You can create some large 50+ mile loops in no time. You definitely want a local to show you around the first day of possible.

Highly recommend the place to everyone.

 

LRM_EXPORT_20180612_114040.jpg

IMG_20180613_111540_375.jpg

 

 

Oops. Forgot to talk about maps. Buy one online (paper version ) and study it. You can use a GPS or app once out there for reference. But becoming familar with land features and some names will help tremendously before getting out there. They sell maps at the Lodge also. Or swing by the Forest Circus station in Coeur D'Alene before getting to GCL. 

 

Lastly, they had a huge fire last season (2018) nearby so I imagine some of that may be closed. Bring a foldable saw it machete if you can. Lots of maintenance to be had until mid June or so. 

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Pincushion said:

Is this Bronson Meadows or somewhere near the lodge?

It's west of the lodge. Maybe 15 miles or less. I think that may be where the fire was in 2018 but I'm not 100%. I can't recall the name of the fire or the name of the valley without looking at the NF map. 

It's worth checking out. And you'll probably want to go back after visiting once. You can also camp all over the area if you dont want to pay to stay at the lodge. The lodge is a huge hotspot for side by sides in the summer as well. So if you do visit the area, be wearing of drunk SxS drivers hogging up the entire forest service road. They outnumber bikers probably 3 or 4 to 1. But once you got off the main logging roads you're gonna be fine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Pincushion

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, onefatroach said:

It's west of the lodge. Maybe 15 miles or less. I think that may be where the fire was in 2018 but I'm not 100%. I can't recall the name of the fire or the name of the valley without looking at the NF map. 

It's worth checking out. And you'll probably want to go back after visiting once. You can also camp all over the area if you dont want to pay to stay at the lodge. The lodge is a huge hotspot for side by sides in the summer as well. So if you do visit the area, be wearing of drunk SxS drivers hogging up the entire forest service road. They outnumber bikers probably 3 or 4 to 1. But once you got off the main logging roads you're gonna be fine. 

Thank you and yes, GLC attracts drunk tards like moths to a flame.  I'll only come here midweek, hit the lodge for lunch/gas and then straight out to the wild again.  I took my son there on a Sat last summer and it was madness within a few square miles near the lodge.   It sure is a pretty area though and great boating lake as well. 

Hurry up snow melt.....

 

 

 

 

LPO.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mentor

HHey

Posted
Posted
It's west of the lodge. Maybe 15 miles or less. I think that may be where the fire was in 2018 but I'm not 100%. I can't recall the name of the fire or the name of the valley without looking at the NF map. 
It's worth checking out. And you'll probably want to go back after visiting once. You can also camp all over the area if you dont want to pay to stay at the lodge. The lodge is a huge hotspot for side by sides in the summer as well. So if you do visit the area, be wearing of drunk SxS drivers hogging up the entire forest service road. They outnumber bikers probably 3 or 4 to 1. But once you got off the main logging roads you're gonna be fine. 


Good intel! Sounds like a better option would be picking a camping area a bit removed from the lodge, or closer to trailheads. Not really into the drunken quad parties..
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, HHey said:

 


Good intel! Sounds like a better option would be picking a camping area a bit removed from the lodge, or closer to trailheads. Not really into the drunken quad parties..

 

The SxS folks don't camp or stay at the lodge for the most part. But they all visit for lunch or dinner. The vast majority of those staying at GCL are dirt bikers. But yes, the main roads around the lodge are pretty sketchy. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rising Star

350DirtRider

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Pincushion said:

Is this Bronson Meadows or somewhere near the lodge?

The picture is from the Magee side of Independence Creek (Trail #22).

Don't worry about last year's fire.  The only trail it affected was Ermine Ridge (Trail #413).  The trail is still there, and you can ride it, but it's full of burned trees now.

One of my favorite loops from the lodge is to go Up Kickbush (#113), Down Ermine (#413), across Independence Creek (#22), up Devel's Peak (#56), across Powder-Larch (#452), down Gold Creek (#111), and back to the lodge.  It's a 60 mile loop with a good mix of advanced and intermediate trails.  If you don't want to ride a burned out trail, then replace Ermine (#413) with Decleration (#416).

The trails with the best views are Green Monarchs (#69) and Packsaddle Mountain (#76).  Packsaddle is probably the most difficult trail in North Idaho with it being an 8 out of 10 with 10 being the most difficult.  If it's wet, then it's probably a 10.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Reply with:

ThumperTalk

Register a new account Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...
Terms of Use
Copyright
Privacy Policy