Salmon Summit to Red Cap Lake

A forest stroll through the less peopled northwest corner of the wilderness. Red Cap Lake is a beautiful place for contemplation. View from Salmon Mt. (elev. 6956') gives perspective to your northcoast wilderness travels. From the lake trips can go along Backbone Ridge or continue along Salmon Summit to Mary Blaine Meadow to the New River Divide Trail. Another possibility is down into New River via several trails.

Cautions:

• Bring water for first part of trail.

Points Along the Trail:

Distance: 0.0
Elevation: 5402'
Red Cap Trailhead.

Distance: 0.75
Elevation: 5600'
Baylors Camp. At Wilderness Boundary, a dry camp.

Distance: 1.3
Elevation: 5800'
Salmon/Red Cap Divide. Views to Marble Mts.

Distance: 1.9
Elevation: 6000'
Indian Rocks. A spiritual area.

Distance: 2.75
Elevation: 6160'
Red Cap Lake Trail Junction. Somewhere in this walk, if possible, go to the top of Salmon Mt., the highest summit in the Salmon Mts. and Humboldt County.

Distance: 4.1
Elevation: 5655'
Red Cap Lake.

Distance: 4.35
Elevation: 6240'
Steep climb on a good trail. Red Cap/Eightmile Creek Divide. Here are two major junctions:

(1) Devils Backbone: You can camp at Eightmile Camp (about a mile at elevation 6555') and look over the Devils Backbone. The Backbone is a long 7 mile stretch without water and in some places the tread narrows to a single file. The trail used to be the way from Forks of Salmon to the railhead at Korbel. Today the Backbone links to many destinations: the New River, North Trinity Mt., Red Cap Prairie, Grizzly Camp, or way over to Patterson Meadows and upper Tish Tang where the trailhead is appropriately called Devils Backbone Trailhead.

(2) Along Salmon Summit: This way has hallphoto views over the Marble Mts. and of the Trinity Alps. Points along the route are Salmon Summit (6.75, elev. 6080') Rock Lake (?.?, elev. 5840'), Salmon Summit Mine (?.?, elev. 5920'), Slate Gap (?.?, elev. 5920'), Mary Blaine Mt. (?.?, elev. 6560'), Election Gap (?.?, elev. 6160'), and the Limestone Ridge/New River Divide Junction (?.?, elev. 6145'). There are several options to travel down into the folds of the New River.

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