Hall Creek
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| | Raps:5-6, max ↨175ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | May-Oct
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47.4277, -121.6595
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Introduction
A nice short canyon that could be combined with nearby Change Creek to make a more full day. Aesthetic rock with fun rappels and slides/downclimbs. The Hall Creek trail allows for quick access and exit. The rock is slippery and the canyon has chilly water, but is overall a fun and easy descent.
Hall Creek is rigged as a training canyon. There are short rappel stations on the boulder at the drop-in, and there are multiple options for many of the obstacles. (note that at one point this was a ghosting/natural-anchor-only canyon, but high use was leading to substantial erosion. The current anchors are designed to keep canyoners in the creek)
To help steward this important natural resource for everyone to enjoy please:
- Do not remove any anchors that are listed in the beta
- Use the anchors in the beta - do not leave behind ad hoc anchors
- Replace damaged webbing & hardware
- Leave unlinked bolts unlinked to prevent unnecessary flood damage.
- Downclimb in the creek until the established exit trail (do not use the social trail on the hillside above the final downclimb)
Approach
From I-90, take exit 38. Drive to the parking location marked on the map (a small pullout just east of where Hall Creek crosses the road). This pullout is just uphill of the Olallie State Park parking lot, which requires a Discover Pass. This pullout, as well as the larger pullout for Change Creek and Deception Crags, does not require a Discover Pass.
The trail starts from a small gate marked with a 'no shooting or motorized vehicles' sign. Hike up the trail and under the railroad grade bridge. You can get a good view of the creek from where the trail starts to switchback uphill just after the bridge. Go left at a fork to climb these switchbacks. The right side of the fork will take you to the exit. Follow the trail up to the Iron Horse Trail, then wrap around to the right to continue up until you come to the fork marked with the Zig Zag trail on the left and the Hall Creek trail on the right. Go right. The next fork will lead to the bottom of Hall Creek Falls (right) or above the falls (left). Go left, or use this spur trail to check out Hall Creek Falls (a large slab of a waterfall) and the flow. On the left trail, you will soon come to yet another fork. Here, go right, and you'll soon come to the creek a little ways above Hall Creek Falls. You can walk up the creek a little, but this is the location for the entrance to the technical section.
Descent
All directions are given looking downstream.
- R0: Training boulder (15' traverse, 15' rappel)
- R0a: DCL traverse line bolts to unlinked bolted anchor. The rock is slippery and a retrievable traverse line should be used to access the rappel anchor. Optional 12mm hole mid-traverse line to put in a temporary bolt for mid-point practice
- R0b: DCL on the far side of the boulder. Traverse line bolts to chain anchor. The chain anchor is exposed, and a retrievable traverse line should be used to access it. Optional 12mm hole mid-traverse line for temporary bolt. There is an 8mm hole on the face of the boulder for a temporary bolt to be used as a deviation (directional). Makes for a slightly more pleasant rappel, and provides deviation (directional) practice.
- R0c: DCR on the trail-side of the boulder. Use the boulders to rig a traverse line anchor (optional). There is a caving spit (threaded hole for a caving bolt) and a 12mm hole for a temporary bolt to create a rappel anchor.
- S1: DCL 8' - optional slide
- R1: DCR 50' - unlinked bolts
- R2: DCR - this is Hall Creek Falls and is done in two stages.
- R2a - DCR 80' - Unlinked bolts immediately out of the pool at the bottom of R1. The first stage can be rigged as the first pitch, and rappelled if the rock is wet (the rock is extremely slippery). If the rock is dry, this can be rigged as a hand line.
- R2b - DCR 150' - Unlinked bolts on a small hidden face DCR.
- S2: 10' - this drop can be a bumpy slide but the pool at the bottom is plenty deep. Alternatively, this can be downclimbed in-creek to the left of the flow.
Early Exit right at 47.4296,-121.65989
- R3: Log middle, 70’. Alternatively, this can be downclimbed DCR
- R4: DCL 50’ - webbing around a log or rock pinch. Alternatively, DCR dry rappel webbing on a tree.
- R5: Log middle, 20'. Alternatively, DCR dry rappel webbing on a tree.
Downclimb some slippery slabs. Where it gets steep, there are 12mm holes for temporary bolts for anyone uncomfortable downclimbing (or for more practice rappelling).
- R6: DCR 15' - chain anchor. There are 12mm holes for temporary bolts to rig a traverse line here. This drop can also be downclimbed canyon center.
Continue down a series of a few more cascading falls, all of which can be downclimbed near the watercourse, or rappelled using natural anchors.
Exit Right at 47.4323,-121.65910. Once you come within sight of the bridge, look for cairns and a small trail on the right that heads up the bank.
Exit
On the small trail on the right, continue down the right side of the creek a short ways to reconnect with the main trail that leads quickly back to the pullout.
Red tape
None. If parking in the Olallie State Park lot, bring a discover pass or pay the day use fee. There are bathrooms in that lot as well.
