Skunk Ridge to Creekside

Dogs Unknown

These two trail segments are always done together.

The trail starts at the foot of the sledding hill, just west of the function building. It starts as a sidehill bench cut trail heading off to the left, climbing until it gains the ridge "skunk ridge". Here the trail makes a sharp right and continues along the spine of the ridge.

You'll make a brief appearance at the top of the sledding hill before ducking back into the woods on your way to the top of the fields that slope down to the west and route 240, with Kissing Bridge ski area in the distance. The trail then starts a very smooth descent along the edge of the fields. Eventually, a sharp right brings you down to an old service road paralleling the creek. Go left on the service road for a couple of hundred yards and then head right for the creek crossing. Yes, your feet will get wet.

One you cross the creek, you are on Creekside. As the name implies, this trail follows the creek back upstream. The creek bank here is all outwash sand and gravel, meaning two things. First, it's a trail that is always dry no matter what, with a naturally gravelly tread. Second, the poorly cohesive soil means that the creek valley is constantly widening, so the trail needs to be periodically moved inward from time to time.

This is a very nice section with lots of twists and turns despite paralleling the creek.

The trail ends at the park road, opposite the start of the snowmobile climb.