Top Spur Trailhead
From Portland Hikers Field Guide
- Latitude: 45.4074
- Longitude: -121.7856
- Maps: Portland Hikers Maps Google Earth
- Elevation: 3900 feet
{{Driving time|1.75 hours))
Hikes starting here
- Bald Mountain from Top Spur Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- Cairn Basin from Top Spur Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- McNeil Point Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- Muddy Fork Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
The Top Spur trailhead provides very quick access to the Timberline Trail via the "top" logging "spur" on the flanks of Bald Mountain. As a result, the trailhead is heavily used on weekends, so be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road if the main turnout is full. There is portable toilet at the trailhead in summer, and a picnic table just a few feet up the trail. There is no water at the trailhead. A small, unreliable water source trickles under the trail at 0.25 mile.
If this is a busy summer weekend and you're going to Cairn Basin or McNeil Point, consider using the McGee Creek Trailhead instead, it's much less busy, and only 0.2 miles further and 400' more elevation gain than Top Spur.
Driving Directions
The Top Spur trailhead can be reached from Lolo Pass Road.
Drive to the community of Zigzag on U.S. 26 which is 18 miles east of Sandy and 10 miles west of Government Camp.
From Zigzag, go North for 10.6 miles on the Lolo Pass Road (Forest Service Road 18) which is paved one lane each direction.
Turn right onto Road 1825 at the pass, which shortly becomes Road 1828 (paved single lane road with turnouts). Go 3 miles to the junction with gravel Road 118, which turns sharply to the left. Follow this route for 1.6 miles to the well-marked Top Spur Trailhead. Watch for potholes, sinks, and washboards on this deteriorating route -- and oncoming cars around blind corners.
To get to the McGee Creek Trailhead, go over Lolo Pass, immediately turn right on the main road, and in about a mile is a sign indicating the short side road to the trailhead.
Page Contributors
- Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)
- User:retiredjerry