Sporty Sunday: Hiking Caples Creek - Silver Fork Loop

The Sierra is open! The drought and warm weather don’t bode well for our summer water supply, but hikers can enjoy an early start to the season. Granted, the Caples Creek - Silver Fork Loop trail is usually accessible in May, but I didn’t encounter snow even at the highest elevations of the walk (6600 feet). In fact, we saw more snow at the end of September, when we first hiked this trail.

The 8.6 mile loop almost has it all. There are dark forests, green meadows, granite boulders, rushing creeks, and mountain views. The only things missing are an alpine lake and a peak to summit. Jasper made do with a swim in Caples Creek and we lunched with a view of Thunder Mountain (but it was much too far away to climb.).


This is the perfect walk to get the alpine hiking season started. It’s long and steep enough to accustom my lungs and legs to the mountain challenges. And the views of the still-snow-covered landscapes a few thousand feet up just get me raring to go higher.

Source: Evans, Stephen L. "Caples Creek - Silver Fork Loop." Top Trails Sacramento. 4th ed. Birmingham: Wilderness, 2012. Print.

Length: 8.6 miles

Water: The streams and creeks were full of snow melt. In fact, Caples Creek was so wide that we could not wade across at Government Meadow. Instead, we walked downstream, 40 yards, to a log that had fallen across the creek to create a bridge.

Use: Light. We only encountered one other group: a troop of boy scouts on their way out.

Differences from published description: To reach the trailhead, turn on Silver Fork Road, not Silver Lake Road, at Kyburz.

Jasper’s rating: 4.5 paws out of 5.

Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!