Cabin Creek Trailhead to McCloud River

Overview: Yét Atwam Creek is an excellent 11-mile-long rainy season creek with the added bonus of getting an additional ten miles of the Lower McCloud River for a total run length of 21 miles. This run can make for a very long day.  For the most part the creek pretty continuous class II and III rapids. However, there are two significant waterfalls in the first few miles.  At mile six, is a scenic gorge with about six class IV rapids. Other solid class III and IV rapids are scattered throughout the run.  On a small creek like this, logs, log jams or brush could always cause problems. Once boaters reach the McCloud, they will face three big class IV rapids along with numerous smaller rapids and a big increase in the flow. What more could you want? Private Property: The first five miles of the creek below the trailhead are within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. A trail follows the creek for this distance. At Bear Trap Creek confluence, Yét Atwam Creek enters private property (McCloud River Club?). There is no further public property along this creek or the McCloud River until the take-out at Gillman Road on Lake Shasta.  A private road follows Yét Atwam Creek from Bear Trap Creek to the confluence with the McCloud. If you need to stop in the private property zone, stay within the high water line to avoid trespassing, unless forced to scout or portage. Put-in: Cabin Creek trailhead at the end of Yét Atwam Creek Road. From I-5 take highway 89 to the town of McCloud.  In McCloud turn south on Yét Atwam Creek Road towards Lake McCloud for six miles.  As the road starts to leave Yét Atwam, turn right onto the dirt road leading to the Cabin Creek Trail.  The last 3 miles to the trailhead are dirt road.   Depending on road and snow conditions, you may have to park further upstream and carry to this point or possibly boat to this point. Take-out:  Gillman Road bridge over the McCloud arm of Lake Shasta. It's a long and winding drive to here from I-5, either via Gillman Road or Fenders Ferry Road. Other Information Sources: http://www.awetstate.com/SquawValleyCreek.html Darin McQuoid Photography Rapid Magazine Early Summer - 2010 Edition, page 28. Yét Atwam Creek Trail - Mt Shasta Trail Association Yét Atwam CreekTrail - Wildflowers Yét Atwam Creek Trail map (pdf) Shasta-Trinity National Forest   McCloud office - (530) 964-2184