Paris Creek

The trail starts across the Cle Elum Valley Road — it can be a little hard to figure out exactly where the trailhead is, especially as the trail starts out very wide, but walk directly ahead and the trail will become more defined once you head a little ways away from the road. 

You’ll start climbing right away, and in just a few hundred feet, the trail narrows and heads into the forest. In almost exactly a mile from the trailhead, you’ll get right up to the trail’s namesake water feature, Paris Creek. If you need water on your hike, this is the only reliable place you’ll find it, so fill up here. 

From here, get ready to climb! The next half mile or so is a steep ascent out of the creek valley. The trail levels out for a bit as it briefly turns to a forest road for about 0.1 mile before you turn right to head back onto the trail into the forest. The trail stays relatively flat and wide for a bit though — nearly half a mile — before narrowing again. You’ll catch some sounds from the creek, but you are now high above the water. In 0.7 mile, you’ll cross an old creek bed, and in a few hundred feet, you’ll cross it again. 

In another few hundred feet, you’ll reach the trail junction with the Jolly Mountain Spur Trail. Take the left to stay on the Paris Creek trail. You had a bit of a break from climbing until here, but you’ll need to get ready to do some more now! There’s a relatively steep climb of about 650 feet over 0.7 mile, where you’ll hit a large campsite. 

Soon after, the trail opens up from the forest and you’ll enter a meadow. The trail can be a little difficult to follow here, but it’s a very short section before the trail becomes clear again. As you keep climbing, you’ll get some nice views to your left, and in about half a mile, you’ll reach a high point. 

Descend for 0.4 mile and you’ll reach the junction with the South Fork Boulder Creek trail — turn right here to stay on the Paris Creek trail. 

The best place for a break on the trail is coming up soon — in about 0.7 mile, the trail weaves right past a big rock with big views, perfect for taking a breather after a relatively brutal hike. 

In just a few hundred feet, you’ll hit the junction with the Elsnor Mine trail, and the Paris Creek trail becomes the Middle Fork Teanaway Trail. You can either come back the way you came, or take either of those trails to craft a larger hike.