Davis Creek

10 min + ¾ hr hike

The Davis Creek area is a great place to explore. There are a couple waterfalls to visit and a couple nice places to camp. You eventually come to an old growth forest with huge trees. It is a pretty steep hike and I don't recommend it for beginner backpackers. It's also a great for an evening hike. There are no established camping sites but several level areas to camp.

To get there, go on the old highway 106 (200 East) in Farmington and just north of the cemetery turn east on 500 south. Go up the hill past where the road curves to the right and the houses end. After the pavement ends, there is a sign that says no trespassing. Ignore it, and go a little further and park just by a small fenced reservoir on the right. Walking up the road south of the reservoir you will see Davis Creek on the left, keep going south until you see a sign on the left that says Davis Creek Trail and a steep trail going up the hill through some trees. Head up the trail. Eventually, you will come to a fork in the trail where you have a nice view of a small waterfall. There is a forest service sign indicating that Pretty Valley is .6 miles on the trail going right. Follow that trail for about 1/4 a mile and another trail forks off to the left with a sign that says Hell Hole and Pretty Valley to the right (see the Pretty Valley site). Follow the left trail for about 1/8th of a mile and it gradually levels out to where you can camp in some trees.

To get to the waterfall called Hell Hole, keep going up the trail until you come to an area on the left that has been camped in (but not very flat) with a vertical marker. Go left there for about 120 feet and go left again on an unmarked trail. You should soon see a green rope to hold onto going down to the base of the waterfall. I understand that there is another waterfall further up the prior trail, but it's not close.

There is another, perhaps better place to camp. Instead of turning left at the unlevel camp site keep going on the main trail to the right up the hill and it levels out near a place where there is a sign that says Prayer Rock to the right and Cattleman's trail points to where you just came from. On both sides of the trail near the sign are some level place to camp and a fire pit on the left. If you keep going down that trail you end up at Pretty Valley.

North Davis Creek site

There is also a small campsite that is close and might be good for a quick campout in the spring or fall just north of Davis Creek. There are two ways to get there shown below.

The one on the right which goes up the Triumph trail a little ways would be a little harder with a full pack.