Two of us hiked Douglas Creek Canyon from the north TH this weekend to escape the drizzle to the west of the mountains. We set out planning to make it a one-night backpack, hiking up 5-6 miles, camping, and hiking back the next day.
The canyon is just gorgeous - pillow basalt and columnar basalt lining the walls and wildflowers in bloom. The trail is easy to follow, transitioning from rail route to ATV route to trail and back again several times. Creek crossings were super easy (it's late June, after all), and most of the creekbeds after the first mile are entirely dry.
And that's what changed our camping plans. After hiking 5-6 miles up the canyon, we really didn't see anyplace to camp that had water access. So we turned around and hiked back, and about .6 miles from the TH we set up in a nice grassy area near the creek. Made for a very short second day!
Aside from the beautiful basalt, my favorite thing about this hike was the birds. Just a symphony of birdsong the whole time, with cliff swallows, wrens, goldfinches, and swifts burbling away. And we did not see another soul the entire time.
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