Klamath National Forest · California

Kelsey Creek

7.7 mi of trail, end to end · about 4,000 ft of climbing · 2,305 ft–6,128 ft · native material surface · trail No. 5530 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide

2,305 ft 4,177 ft · 4.5 mi high 4,177 ft

Trailhead Kelsey Trailhead 2,402 ft Drive there

Kelsey Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Just west of the Scott River on Kelsey Creek you pick up the Kelsey National Recreation Trail. Originally built in the 1850's, the trail served as a supply route from the coast to Scott Valley and the military post at Fort Jones. Today the trail serves as a popular day hike to Paradise Lake and connects backpackers to the PCT.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.