Exploring Sluice Boxes State Park

September, 2006

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A fine day in September is too good to waste, so on this one I drove over past Gt. Falls and up Belt Creek to Sluice Boxes State Park. It's a pretty creek, and in the area of the park it cuts through some limestone cliffs to form a wonderful canyon. There's an old mining town up the canyon, and once upon a time there was a railroad that went up there... up the canyon. The track is abandoned, but the grade makes a great hiking trail.

The first part of the trip you end up fording the stream a few times. You can avoid that by coming down one of the side canyons, but I didn't discover that until on my way out.

The water is pretty low in the fall, but I'll bet it's a boiling cauldron in the spring!

Sluice Boxes Sluice Boxes Sluice Boxes
Sluice Boxes

The old trestles and bridges are decaying and falling apart, but they're still passable on foot.

Decaying Railroad Bridge
Decaying Railroad Bridge

The canyon is spectacular -- alternating pools and riffles. There have to be fish in there somewhere.

Sluice Boxes Sluice Boxes
Sluice Box Canyon

The old railroad grade is overgrown with young trees, and occasional boulders which have crashed down. There was bear poop in a few places, as there are a lot of berries in the canyon.

Railroad Track Bed Old Railroad Bridge
Railroad Track Bed Old Railroad Bridge

The side canyons spanned by the bridges and trestles had small creeks in them, some with nice waterfalls.

Waterfall
Waterfall

Sluice Box Canyon
Sluice Box Canyon
Trestle Top Tunnel
Top of Trestle Tunnel

I was hoping to get up to the ghost town to check it out, but it was getting late so I had to turn around. I hope to go back next summer and spend a few days exploring more!

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