Bigfoot Trail Alliance Restores Key Wilderness Access
In the remote backcountry where the Coast Range ends and the Klamath Mountains begin, a quiet but powerful threshold awaits: West Low Gap. This mountain pass marks a geographical and ecological divide—where hikers on the Bigfoot Trail leave behind the rugged drainages of the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness and officially enter the vast biodiversity stronghold of the Klamath Mountains.
This spring, the Bigfoot Trail Alliance partnered with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to improve this critical junction, ensuring continued access for hikers and researchers traversing the 360-mile Bigfoot Trail corridor.
Trail Work at the Edge of Two Worlds
West Low Gap is more than just a place on the map—it’s a symbolic and ecological portal. For Bigfoot Trail hikers heading north, this is where the journey transitions from the oak woodlands and mixed conifer forests of the Coast Range into the complex, conifer-dominated terrain of the Klamaths. It’s a place where you can almost feel the change in geology, plant life, and spirit underfoot.
This recent project focused on clearing a quarter mile of thick whitethorn brush that had overtaken a key stretch of trail. Volunteers hacked and sawed their way through dense growth, restoring access through the gap and improving the route to the junction with Trail 10W36. Five folks joined our trip leader, Jacob Shinners. A total of 100 volunteer hours were donated over three days.
While one short section (about 100 feet) remains uncleared just beyond the current work zone, the trail is now in good condition from West Low Gap to the 10W36 junction. North of that, however, hikers should be prepared: the area around North Yolla Bolly Spring has burned and now hosts multiple downed trees.
Thanks to the support and collaboration of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, we’re helping ensure that the transition from the Yolla Bollys to the Klamaths remains not just possible, but memorable—for all who make this rugged trek.
Want to get involved in trail work like this? Join us on a future volunteer trip—your boots, hands, and heart are welcome on the Bigfoot Trail.
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