Otter Creek Trail

Otter Creek holds a special place for us. I grew up backpacking this trail with my dad and his friends - it was my introduction to the backcountry as a kid, carrying an oversized pack and crossing the creek more times than I could count. Coming back years later to take my wife on her first backpacking trip here felt like coming full circle.

We started from the Otter Creek trailhead off Forest Road 303, heading south up the creek valley. I warned her about the creek crossings. She didn't fully believe me until crossing number three, when the water hit her knees and she gave me a look. We counted at least 15 crossings on the way in. In September the water was manageable - knee-deep at most - but you're committing to wet feet. That's just Otter Creek.

The valley is exactly how I remembered it. Dense rhododendron thickets, massive hemlocks creating cathedral ceilings, and the constant sound of the creek echoing through the gorge. The forest is thick and alive - ferns everywhere, mushrooms on every log, and that particular smell of a wet Eastern forest that takes me straight back to being twelve years old with a pack that was way too heavy.

We made camp about 5 miles in at a flat spot right along the creek. I'm pretty sure it's the same site my dad used to pick. There are established campsites scattered along the trail - fire rings and worn-flat spots that generations of backpackers have used. Our site was perfect - flat, dry, creek gurgling 20 feet away. My wife fell asleep to that sound and said it was the best sleep she'd had in months. That's when I knew she got it.

Day two we pushed further up the valley before looping back on the Mylius Trail for an 11.5-mile loop. The upper reaches of Otter Creek get narrower and more remote. We didn't see a single person for about 4 hours. In the designated wilderness, with no road access, you feel genuinely away from everything. My wife kept saying "I can't believe this exists" and I kept thinking about my dad saying the same thing to his friends 20 years ago.

The Mylius ridge trail has more elevation gain and some nice overlooks before dropping back to the trailhead. It's a solid climb out of the valley but the views back toward the wilderness make it worth the burn.

Here's what I told my wife going in: the creek crossings ARE the trail. There's no way around them. Once she stopped fighting it and just waded through, she started laughing at every crossing instead of dreading it. By the end she was picking the deepest line on purpose. That's the Otter Creek effect.

The wilderness designation means minimal trail maintenance. Blowdowns to navigate, faint sections, unmarked crossings where you just know from the map the trail continues on the other side. I knew the way from memory but if it's your first time, bring a good map.

This trail turned my wife into a backpacker. She's already asking when we're going back. I told her fall - just like my dad always said. Some traditions are worth keeping.