Directions: From Battle Ground, WA, take Hwy 503 North to Chelatchie Prairie. Turn East (right) at the Chelatchie Prairie General Store and gas station, onto NE Healy road. The store is on the northeast corner of Hwy 503 and NE Healy road. NE Healy road changes into Forest Road 54 after a few miles. Follow this route for about 9 miles from the general store. Look for the “pavement ends sign” and turn left, uphill, on FR 57 After another mile turn left again onto Rd. 5701. The road may be unsigned but it is the junction just past a quarry on the left. Follow this mostly paved road to the trailhead in a little more than 4.9 miles from the junction with FR 57. Even though the high point on the road is less than 2000 feet in elevation, late winter snow can block this road. This is because after it crosses a ridge, the road is in the shade as it drops down to the trailhead. Call the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for current information at (360) 891-5000 or visit the Gifford Pinchot Recreation webpage for the road and snopark information. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. The nearest bathrooms are at the Mt. St. Helens Monument Headquarters in Chelatchie Prairie (Amboy). Note: No permits are required to park at the trailhead. Trail: GPNF Trail 130 and 140. Trail Maps: Topo Map - future Length and Elevation: 10.5 Miles Roundtrip for the loop. Elevation gain totals 3,500 feet. Total gain and loss is 7,000 feet. Highest elevation is 3,345 feet. Review: October 13, 2012. From the main trailhead at Siouxon Creek, follow the trail gently downhill to the left for about 100 feet to a junction for the Siouxon Creek trail. As of this review, the trail sign has been shot several times. Turn right at the junction and continue gently downhill. Soon the sounds of a tributary to Siouxon Creek can be heard. The wide, well maintained trail leads to a log bridge over the small creek after about .1 mile. The water of the stream is crystal clear and flows about 10 feet below the single-log bridge. Soon the trail passes a camping area that is used heavily during the summer by car campers. The trail goes along the creek, through an open second-growth forest. The understory here is mainly ferns and apple clover. At a junction in about .75 mile, a small trail parallels Siouxon Creek trail for about .2 mile, passes a small campsite, and ends at the junction for the Horseshoe ridge trail. Turn right and you’ll know you are on the correct trail because as soon as you start, the trail begins climbing steeply away from Siouxon Creek. The first part of the trail is well maintained. Several work parties have cleared deadfalls off the trail during the last few years. The trail bolts up the hill, like a lightning bolt with short, jagged switchbacks which almost seem vertical. After trudging upwards for more than an hour, you get a short break in the climb as you reach a shoulder on the ridge, but you’re not nearly done with the ascent. The trail veers to the left and keeps climbing up the ridge, though not quite as steeply as on the lower section. Now at about 4,000 feet, there are a few huckleberries, Oregon grape, salal, and mosses, but not much else. The canopy of the hemlock and the elevation have combined to choke out most of the undergrowth. After a moderate amount of elevation gain, the trail yet again hits another very steep climb. This hike is a strong workout for your calves, stretching them tight with every step. After walking about 1.8 miles, the trail passes a rocky promontory that has some views on a clear day. Eventually the trail breaks out to a vista looking south, then continues along the spine of the sawthtooth ridge without the aid of switchbacks. 2 miles from the trailhead, the trail begins to level out but still has some short steep sections and even some short descents. Travel below the ridgeline for a bit, avoiding some of the knobby, worn-down teeth of Horseshoe Ridge. All too soon the trail climbs and crests the ridge again, continuing northwest. At 2.4 miles, walk past kinnikinnick and a carpet of juniper as you got through a couple of tiny mountainside meadow which have some views to the northeast. The trail here is not as steep but still climbs gently towards the high point the trail, 2.5 miles from the trailhead at 3,345 feet in elevation. In another .5 mile, cross two more meadows with kinnikinnick, juniper, and short grasses, with views to the northeast. Pay attention along this section because even a small layer of snow on the ground will cover any traces of the sketchy trail in the second meadow. If you are looking for where the trail reenters the woods, look level, or just slightly uphill. Fog and mist enveloped me as I re-entered the forest and the dank forest felt ominous with trees leaning over the trail with dead branches dangling down about head and shoulder level, like they’re waiting to grab you as you walk through the dim forest. Other trees crouch near the ground, waiting for their chance to trip you, as you try to avoid the grasping branches. Dark ominous roots have crept into the trail from deep in the ground, waiting for their chance to seize your boot as you hurry by in the ever increasing gloominess. Other branches scrape across your neck as you begin to worry if anyone would ever find you if something happened to you on this spooky trail. Other branches bar you way, hoping to draw a drop of blood as you push by, seeking to find the end of this gloom. After escaping the clutches of the eerie forest, one last trick has been played. The trail builders built in another 100 feet of gain before beginning a gradual descent. After dropping down for a bit, pass by a hunting camp, climb a bit, then drop down to an old road. Turn left at the road and walk about 100 feet to where the trail goes back into the woods. At first the trail descends gradually, crossing a steep slope on a very narrow tread. After about a mile, the trail drops sharply down towards Siouxon Creek. After about .6 mile of sharp descent, the way gets easier and the tread becomes wider. Switchback down to the Siouxon Creek Trail and turn left, heading back towards the trailhead. Walk a little more than 2 miles, passing Siouxon Creek Falls and Horseshoe Creek Falls, watching out for mountain bikers. This is a difficult trail with the rapid elevation gain, the many deadfalls that seem to plague this trail, and the sections of narrow tread. This is a great trail for a good workout or conditioning hike. You could go for a dip in the cold Siouxon Creek if hiking this on a hot day. Happy Halloween Additional photos at eyehike.com Link to http://www.eyehike.com/[…]/Horseshoe_Ridge_Photos_WA for more photos!! Switchback Steve

Spent the 4th of July weekend at Siouxon Creek and we got a bit wet Friday setting up camp. The falls were beautiful and the river was crystal clear. Explored on Saturday along Chinook Trail #130A, enjoyed waterfalls and some sun! Sunday, we took off for Horseshoe Ridge to make a loop. Started the unmarked access farther down from West Creak and it is STEEP! The clouds were low but we pressed on for the adventure! A few logs to cross near the top and then sedges and quiet fog-bound hiking. One Elk encounter, lunch, then on we pressed... and it got BAD. Seemed like a war zone along the ridge. At times only the vague outline of a trail - observation skills imperative! Then the real fun began! Blow-downs everywhere! One wild animal heard and not seen to creep us out and still we pressed on. Over, under, over, under, through and DOWN. Lots of pink flagging around so we must have been ahead of the trail maintenance crew! We finally rejoined the Siouxon trail and made a short and happy journey (tired and un-eaten) back to camp. Slept in Monday and encounterd a LOT of people on our way out. Hiker and biker. Sun was out in force by the time we arrived at the car (of course). But, a great adventure and fun with friends in the woods!

We hiked in on the Lower Siouxon Creek Trail and camped 3 miles in near the Wild Cat Creek at an established campground. The hike starts heading downhill and continues relatively flat for the next few miles. The trail is in good shape all the way to the campsite. Make sure to have a camera ready along the way as you will pass beautiful stretches of river including waterfalls. The Horseshoe ridge trail stems off the Siouxon Trail, on the right, just past the Wild Cat Creek. This trail was logged out and is clear for about 2 miles going up hill. The corridor is clear and is usable to hikers and bikers (thanks to Henry and his crew). Equestrian users may want to be cautious on this trail. The Horseshoe Ridge Trail loops around back onto the Lower Siouxon Trail (you pass this hiking in), but is littered with blow downs. Steep trail and uncleared corridor makes it difficult to hike. This was a fun trail to hike. It needs a little more work but is heading in the right direction!

This hike was actually done in conjunction with a WTA log out on the eastern access of the Horseshoe Ridge Trail. But since the last online trip report for this trail was posted in 1999, I thought I would write a brief report, even though I only hiked about 2 1/2 miles of the trail. Souixon Trail #130 meanders along Souixon Creek in the Mt St Helen's District of the GPNF. This trail is very popular with mountain bikers, but is also a low impact hiking trail that is good for all family members from young children to active grandparents. The trail traverses through second growth forest with some very impressive old growth snags. There are several minor water falls on Souixon Creek that add some points of interest. At about 1 mile from the trailhead is a junction with the western terminus of the Horseshoe Ridge Trail. This trail is severely unmaintained and poorly designed and constructed with portions of it going right up the fall line. To get to the trailhead drive to the Chelatchie Prairie General Store on State Route 503. Head east on Healy Road, which turns into FR54. At about 9 mile from the store turn left onto FR57. This road is unsigned but is the first paved left turn off FR54. The first left off FR57 is FR5701. This road dead ends at the trailhead, which is located by the cedar rail fence. A short trail takes you down to the main trail. Turn right at the sign and head east on the trail. This is an out and back hike, but very scenic and worth the trip. The roads to the trailhead are poorly maintained, but are passable for passenger cars. WTA is in the process of logging out on the Horseshoe Ridge Trail in the hope that someday a loop hike can be created, although it will take considerable effort and some complete reconstruction to make that happen.

I heard that the landslide across FS 54 was cleared this fall so I went out to explore the Horseshoe Ridge Loop. I started at the lower Siouxon trailhead at the end of FS 5701 and did the loop counter-clockwise. The Siouxon was in great shape, relatively dry despite recent rains because the ground is so rocky. The Horeshoe Ridge trail, however, had LOTS of trees across the trail, particularly on the climb up and descent. The ridge top had few trees and was actually really nice. It was cloudy and even snowed a bit up top, or I might have seen some cool views. There was a couple inches of snow on the southeast end of the loop near the jct with spur road 320. Even though I had to scramble across lots of trees and the trail is very steep and unmaintained, it was still a cool hike if you like that sort of thing.