Backpack the Palisades Creek Trail
Details
Distance
15 miles
Elevation Gain
2200 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Added by Joey Washburn
Fun but challenging hike where you can camp near a beautiful waterfall.
After driving out to Kidd Lakes and parking at the trailhead, you take off through some easy forest hiking past Cascade Lakes and Long Lake. Pay attention to the cairns marking the trail as you traverse across a large granite section with Devils Peak to your West. The trail is easy to follow and is well marked all the way down to Palisades Falls. It's 7-8 miles to the bottom, descending about 2200 vertical feet and can be done as a day hike, but its pretty challenging. You'll pass by a few waterfalls on the hike in as well - have your camera handy!
Enjoy camping right next to the falls and do some exploration down river to find a few more waterfalls within about 45 minute hike from basecamp.
There is a bit of timing issue to contend with to have ideal conditions for the hike and the falls. You'll want to go late enough in the spring that the road to Kidd Lake is mostly snow free, but early enough that the snowmelt is at full blast.
Known for
Nearby
🌎
Local adventures
Find hikes, backpacking, photo spots, and more around Truckee.
🏕
Nearby lodging
Search campgrounds, glamping, and hotels near Truckee.
Reviews
Leave a Review
Palisades Creek Trail - Moderate Difficulty
Stick to the trial, printout a map and reference location via phone gps if you'd like; My GPS worked almost up until the river/ creek confluence & waterfall area. Big guys bring 3-6L of water (one way) and you can refill at the river w/ some Purification Pills for the trip back. I will advise to bring a bear bag for your food supply and hang it in the nearby trees as there are Black Bears in the area. We had one devour our food that was roughly 20 ft from the camp, he circled the tent a few times at several different times during the night but didn't show any aggressive signs.
4.0
I don't know if I'm the only one with an outdated topo of the area but I'd like to mention the spur trail to the upstream Heath Falls Overlook no longer exists. There are a couple of blazes near where the trail junction should be but its a cross country route. I did not attempt it. Also Devil's Peak is much nicer than the postpile you see at the Devil's Postpile National Monument down near Mammoth.
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on.
Nearby Adventures
Swim at Long Lake near Truckee
Backpacking to Loch Leven Lakes
Hike to the Top of Andesite Peak
Summit Castle Peak
Community
Mobile Apps
© 2021 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy