Coloma's Dutch Creek in June 2013

Coloma is sizzling hot!

Poison oak abounds!

Kayakers are in season! 

 Coloma has a variety of activities besides the approximately 3+ mile hike described below.  It offers picnic areas, historical mining structures including the old jail, a museum, a country store, a small coffee shop, old time photos, living history days, and the river.  This is a great place for family picnics.

 

To get to the trail along Dutch Creek, walk from the parking toward this historic
Sutter Mill, along the street side.  Cross the one lane bridge and turn right on Bayne Street.

 

Poppies are still in bloom,

and adorn the vineyard hillside along the roadway.

 

 This is the gate to the trail.  As you walk up Bayne it could easily be missed.  The tree sort of blocks it and this view is looking straight at it after passing the tree.  It is legal to climb over or through the gate to hike here, and it is publicly owned property.  The trail is not very suitable for bicycles, only hikers.

 

After you cross through the green forestry gate, Mount Murphy is your focal point. You will be hiking at the base of it along the south side.  Thistles abound and the grasses are dry.  I wore gaiters to keep them out of my shoes and socks.

These beauties are called gum plants and the blooms open into large yellow flowers.  I found them scattered along the trail before I reached the shade.

When you enter the woody area, the trail is pleasantly cooler. 

At this point I found a nice cutoff marked by boulders that leads you to the creek.  I was so hot I had no choice to but to take it down.  It is a little rough, so be aware that there is some erosion and a short steep section.

This tiny waterfall makes an enticing rushing sound you can hear up on the trail.  Here is a pond deep enough to immerse yourself in but be careful.  The rocks are super slippery.  I opted to climb over to the falls and just soak my head and shirt!  What a relief!

 

Although things are dry, these Purdy's Brodiaea bloom April through June are still brighten the path.

 

This has a nice deep spot and plenty of shade.  It is a great picnic spot, and you can take another dip in this small pool.

Unless, of course, swimming with fish bothers you!  Plenty of these were swimming around and uninhibited by my presence!  Again, make your way back up to the trail and head east, upstream.  To this point the trail has been in overall good condition.

This waterfall was my biggest reward on this hike.  The trail is eroded and hiking
solo seemed too risky for me to continue to Dutch Creek Falls and
Johntown Falls.  This is a pretty area, less suitable for a dip.  There is
heavy moss growing in the water.  Downstream just a bit is a gravel bar,
 nice normally for hanging out, but pretty uninviting at this time. 

The creek is pretty downstream beyond the gravel bar.  From this stop I turned back, hoping to return and hike above the trail on a cooler day to see the biggest waterfalls.

On my way back, I watched the kayakers from the bridge before calling it a day.

 Driving Directions:

• Go to Coloma on CA 49 between I-80 and Highway 50; pay $8.00 for parking at the parking lot kiosk in the second state parking provided on the river side of the highway.  Bathrooms are provided and roomy for changing clothes.
• Walk south from the parking, then over the one lane bridge. (You can't miss it as the town is VERY small.) 
• Turn right on Bayne and follow the paved road to the locked green gate on the left across from the house downhill by the river. It is also identifiable by small signs like rattlesnake warnings, says "State Park", and is a regular locked forestry green gate you climb over or through. If you get to a fork n the road, you went too far.
• The trail is single file, but visible despite the weeds.

It leads through the grassy meadow, into the trees, and then has some steep ups and downs, but they are short. There is some brush, a couple of tree falls you have to climb over, under, or around.  The trail is hard dry soil mostly, some seems to have been loosened for better footing going down to the creek.   Hiking pole(s) are handy balancing tools. If I can give any advice, it is wear GOOD hiking shoes. Watch out for the abundant poison oak, visible all along the way.  Follow the trail! Have an adventurous and happy day!  Take plenty of water!

Latitude: 38-47'57'' N

Longitude: 120-52'54'' W

Thank you for checking in! There is another review of this hike on this blog dated April of 2010, and has some other information, and beautiful photos showing the seasonal differences you can come across.

For more hikes see Trails By Locations

June 1, 2013

 

Dutch Creek and Johntown Falls in Coloma, CA. updated 10-2012

Dutch Creek Falls and Johntown Falls feature cascades, historical features related to the Gold Rush era,

and hiking is on unmaintained trails (maps and GPS included below) with abundant spring wildflowers.  Mt. Murphy will be draped in golden poppies and the waterfalls are gorgeous with snow melt runoff.

This year I went in May 2012, then again in September and must warn of more hazardous trail conditions than ever due to erosion, and even more plentiful poison oak that was impossible to avoid contact with. Ticks are another hazard.

Distance: Plan to hike 2-5 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate to advanced skills.
Directions are written at the end of the article. Wikiloc link included.
Elevation min: 748 feet, max: 1,194 feet
Accum. height uphill: 420 feet, downhill: 456 feet


Lower Dutch Creek Falls 2010. 

 The above photos are Johntown Falls. 

This is the entry gate you'll look for.

You are greeted by the Coloma rolling hills, and at this time of year the poppies are blooming. Look for a typical locked green forestry gate on your left (complete directions below) with the ordinary signs like snake warnings, and a State Park Boundary sign.  Climb over or through the gates.  The trail is easy to see and follow at first. It winds through the grasses (sometimes quite tall) and then into woods (wearing long pants and even gaiters are good). Watch out for ticks and poison oak too.

On the right, the trail is paralleled by the creek but it's down below. You'll see the historic rock wall remnants that were built to guide the water.

Winding your way into the woods is beautiful and cool. The trail is not maintained, so any debris will remain and the trail changes over time to avoid the obstacles like fallen trees.

If you bushwhack a little, you can get down to the water and find some serene and picturesque views upstream. Beware, the rocks are very polished by the water, and slippery. One of our hikers took quite a slip and fall onto the rocks even though he was wearing good quality hiking boots! If you have trekking poles, they can come in handy.  We also saw plenty of wildflowers, mostly fairy lanterns and poppies up on the hillside, but also some lupines, vetch, and some butterflies.

There were salamanders galore this May 2012!  The ripple is from the little guy coming up for air.

To go to Lower Dutch Creek Falls you will see a trail heading down to the right that has a small boulder on either side of it. The trail winds a little to the left and after that the surface is hard and slippery with nothing to dig your boots into for traction.  It is a steep, butt-slide trail down to the falls and pool at the base.  There is shade and a great boulder overlooking the falls you can sun on, and an excellent wading pool at the base of the double falls.

Lower Dutch Creek Falls May, 2012

Once past the lower falls turn off, the trail here, and in a couple of places, goes almost straight up.  I didn't worry about going in but wondered about footing on the way out!

 The local vultures collected when they noticed we made it to the upper falls....hinting that our chances of getting out safely may be questionable!  (Chuckle, really!)

This May, 2012 photo doesn't do the trail damage justice, but you can see the erosion pattern and how narrow the trail is currently.  It is also less flat and more angled downhill.

Besides Lower Dutch Creek Falls, there are numerous small cascades along the way.

If you do continue on upstream along the narrow, steep at times, rough trail, you get to the falls below, Dutch Creek Falls and Johntown Creek Falls merging into Dutch Creek. We accomplished this pleasure in May 2010, 2011, and 2012.  We missed out in February 2010, having lost the trail! In April of 2011, we bushwhacked to a high point overlooking both falls!  The water flow was generous and the view was wonderful!

April 2011 Johntown Falls

April 2011 Dutch Creek Falls taken from the boulder 
overlooking both falls and the canyon.

Dutch Creek Falls May 2012

I love the rock structure to the right of the falls. 
We refer to her endearingly as the "Ancient Lady".

Directions: 

• From Highway 80, take the exit for Elm Street at Auburn, CA.
• Make a left at the stoplight.
• At the next signal make a left.
• The street veers to the right or has an option to go straight ahead. Veer right to go on Highway 49.
• Go straight ahead at the next signal at Lincoln Road.  Now the road winds.
  
• Take Highway 49 towards Coloma. 

• An option is to park in the state parking and pay at the kiosk ($10?) 
• You can park along the roadway across the bridge on the left, but you have to go to the museum and pay there. (There are pit toilets in the parking area.) 
• Walk to Bayne road by crossing the single lane bridge across the river from Highway 49 and turn right. 

Walk up the road  then follow the trail as described above, starting at the green gate on your left.

Allow for a 2-4 mile hike and try to go early in the year for the best water flow over the falls. The later in the year it gets, the more dry the fields get and you encounter stickers galore, poison oak year around, and a less satisfying view of waterfalls. You can decide how much bushwhacking you are up to and can keep it mild-moderate or push it into a more technical-difficult hike.

Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, snacks, hiking poles if possible and shoes with deep tread.

Click on photo to enlarge.

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