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Western States Trail Michigan Bluff to Deadwood

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Distance:
12.8 Miles / 20.6 km
Type:
Out-and-Back
Difficulty:
Hard
Time to Hike:
6 hours, ~24 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Town:
Foresthill, California
Directions:
8423 Michigan Bluff Rd, Foresthill, CA 95631

39.041491, -120.733999
Added:
August 22, 2017
Updated:
February 06, 2020
Copy Trail Link Hiking this trail? Send a friend or family member a link to this trail guide for your own safety. Hike at your own risk (disclaimer)
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2,169'

Total Change
4,101'

Ascent
4,107'

Descent

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Western States Trail Michigan Bluff to Deadwood

This small portion of the Western States Trail brings you from Michigan Bluff over to Deadwood and is a difficult 12.8-mile out-and-back trail that leads to the ghost town of Deadwood.

The hike begins by heading down El Dorado Canyon along moderate grade trail. At the bottom of El Dorado Canyon is footbridge that crosses El Dorado Creek. Immediately after the footbridge crossing, the trail ascends once again at a similar grade toward Deadwood.

Upon reaching Deadwood, the trail will flatten out a bit and shortly after hikers will reach an old Deadwood cemetery sign. The town of Deadwood was founded in 1852 after gold was discovered nearby. After all of the gold dried up, everyone moved out of the area, and now all that's left is the Deadwood cemetery.

Pets
Dogs are allowed if leashed and their waste must be carried out by the hiker.

Parking
Hikers can find parking at the coordinates provided. The lot is not very large, but this is not a very popular hiking destination.

For more trip details, check out this NorCal Hiker blog post.
Explore 2 trails near Foresthill, CA
  1. Parking

    39.041491, -120.733999
  2. Main Trailhead

    39.041821, -120.732951
  3. Wildflowers along the trail

    39.063403, -120.702286
    Wildflowers along the trail
  4. Deadwood Cemetery sign

    39.081245, -120.688893
    Deadwood Cemetery sign
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)
Snakes
Poison Ivy/Oak

Season

Spring

Photo Albums

Trip Reports

Trail Guide By:
Norcalhiker user profile picture
12.8 miles / 20.6 km

Weather Forecast

In Foresthill, CA

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