Mileage: 4.5-mile round trip
Elevation Gain: 1,400 feet
Difficulty: Average
USGS Map: Clark Fork
GPS: 48 13 26.6N 116 06 55.8W
Description: A 4.5-mile round trip with 1,400 feet of elevation gain makes this a perfect afternoon hike. Regal Creek has its share of unique features. Beginning with a steady climb along an old roadbed, it eventually opens up in a talus field to some great views of Lightning Creek and Bee Top. There is an old mine near the end of the trail. This is a cold aid drainage with lots of cedar and hemlock.
Getting There: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) to Clark Fork. Turn north at the Chevron Station and follow Lightning Creek Road 419. The trailhead is on the right side of the road, nearly directly across from MP6 and just a few hundred yards short of Morris Creek. There is a sign with the number 556 on it.
Always be prepared. You’ll want to bring:
- There is access to water year-round at the creek crossings.
- Hiking Poles.
- A map. The trail can be hard to find sometimes.
- Long pants. Overgrown brush and downed trees can be abundant in early summer before our volunteer trail crew clears the path.
- A trowel to do your business and a bag for your trash. There is not bathroom at the trailhead so you’ll have to bury your business and pack out your toilet paper.