Approach › Stewart Creek

The trail up Stewart Creek is a fairly gentle one for the first three miles or more, all the way to about the 11,400 foot level. It always remains on the north side of Stewart Creek and keeps hikers above the many beaver ponds and bogs of the creek that lace the valley floor. There is an abundance of willows. This is prime moose habitat and you have a good chance of spotting one if you hike quietly. The hiking starts out in meadows, then follows the forest border. There's also a good chance of spotting some beaver. For flower lovers, the valley has numerous plots of wild iris. The last mile of trail climbs more steeply as you pull up out of the forest and into the willow-covered upper basin below San Luis Peak. The last good tree camping will be in the vicinity of where the trail begins to climb well above Stewart Creek. Where the south fork of Stewart Creek comes in and joins the main drainage, cross the main creek and hike up along the west side of the south fork into lower willows. We found tolerable camping in this area. See coordinates below.