Trail Review: High Creek Canyon to Naomi and Cherry Peaks

Distance:  19.0 miles
Vertical:  5900'
Difficulty:  Hard

Looking North down High Creek Canyon from Cherry Peak

When Cody and I first attempted this trail, we made a couple of critical errors which resulted in more of an adventure than we bargained for.  First, we didn't get a map, second, we started at 4 AM with hours of darkness still ahead of us, and then, to top it off, we trusted that there would be a sign pointing in the correct direction.  Wrong.  Needless to say, we got quite lost, ended up bushwhacking up the wrong drainage for miles, and by the time we found the turn we missed, it was light enough to see that the sign had been ripped from the post.  Later that week, Cody went solo and scouted the trail and we were finally able to run it together last weekend, as what will likely be our last real high country trail run until the snows melt next spring. 

We started at a campground partway up High Creek Canyon, just East of Richmond, UT (north of Logan about 25 minutes), but you can start at the beginning of the dirt road to get in a few extra miles.  The road winds through a few campsites here and there for a mile or two, then ends in a parking lot.  This is where the single track starts.  It starts out flat for a few hundred meters, then takes a hard left across a foot bridge and begins to climb.  You alternate flat and climbing for a little while, until you reach a sign (or, if you're not lucky, a post).  DO NOT GO LEFT HERE!!!  Well, you can, and it will take you to a cool little waterfall, but that's as far as it goes.  There is nothing but misleading deer tracks after that point.  Go right at the sign across a rickety foot bridge (there are a few of these), and the trail begins to climb in earnest.  We did this trail in the late fall, and the colors mixed with the dark green fir was beautiful.  In the summer, it is very green.  You'll make a couple of switchbacks, and the trail will turn somewhat rocky as you continue to climb High Creek Canyon.  There is a nice little creek running by the trail, and you'll cross it several times.  There are always little bridges to cross, as the trail is also heavily used by horses.  Between mile 5 and 6 you'll come out of the forest upon a small pond.  Watch for moose here, as we know of at least two moose sightings at the pond.  You'll then cross a large meadow, where you'll have a great view of Cherry Peak directly in front of you.  Once you cross the meadow, the trail climbs steeply to the left, up the side of a very large bowl rimmed by cliffs.  The trail climbs a couple of steep ridges, and then drops down into High Creek Lake.  The freezing water is mirror smooth and clear enough to see to the bottom of the lake.  Looking to the South, you'll see a saddle above you.  The trail climbs to this saddle and splits at the top.  To the right is the way to Cherry Peak.  To the left, the trail to Naomi Peak.  We took Naomi to start with.  Naomi Peak is the highest point in the Bear River Range, and coming from this side is much more impressive than it is from the Tony Grove side, which is the short hike most people take.  The trail climbs about 1000' within a little over a mile to the peak.  You'll reach another saddle and another fork in the trail 4/5 of the way there.  Right takes you the last few hundred meters to the peak and left takes you down the hiking trail to Tony Grove.  Cody and I are planning to take this route next summer, traversing the way we came, to Naomi Peak, across the Seven Sisters and Mount Elmer, to Green Canyon, about a 50k run.  That will be an epic trail run.  This time, we paused for a few minutes at the peak before deciding that it was too cold and windy (there was about a foot of snow on the ground above 8,000' on this day) and turning around.  Follow the trail back the way you came to the saddle above High Creek Lake, and this time take the other fork.  You'll be able to see the trail ahead of you as it skirts another large bowl, slanting steeply up the side of Cherry Peak.  You'll reach yet another saddle, and from here the trail kind of disappears, leaving you to find your own best route to the summit.  This peak offers breathtaking views of High Creek Canyon, City Creek Canyon, Cache Valley, Naomi Peak, the Seven Sisters, and all the other peaks to the South.  We paused here to drink some water, snap some pictures, and eat some of Cody's granola bars before heading back down the way we came.  Going down High Creek Canyon is somewhat technical, with all the rocks, but is not nearly as bad as it looks coming up.  Enjoy the downhill and the views as you make your way back to the start point.  

Here are some photos:

View of Cherry Peak coming up High Creek Canyon

Yours truly at High Creek Lake

High Creek Lake from the saddle

The last bit of the high saddle near Naomi Peak

Looking SE near Naomi Peak

Possibly the most hardcore photo of me in history, from the top of Cherry Peak

Looking back towards Naomi Peak (top center) over what we just ran across

Accessibility:  About 25 minutes drive from Logan.  2 Stars

Runnability:  Rocky in places, but not as bad as it looks.  3 Stars

Scenic Value:  Two peaks at or above 10K, great views of the valley and surrounding mountains.  5 Stars

Overall Rating:  3.3 out of 5 Stars.  Great for a long, tough, weekend run with lots of vertical, spectacular views, and everything that makes trail running great.