This short but lovely creekside trail, linking Camp Taylor with Madrone Camp, usually also connects with Devil’s Gulch but is currently impassable.
Location: Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Length: 1.8 miles (when trail is fully passable)
Difficulty: easy
Shade: shaded
Parking: main parking lot at Camp Taylor ($8/vehicle, pay at park entrance)
Public Transportation: bus 68 (Stagecoach) stops near the park entrance
WC: at campground/parking lot
Dogs: not allowed on hiking trails, only in developed areas and Cross Marin Trail
Hiked: May 2021
Trail Route & Notes
This is a simple out-and-back trail. From the end of the parking lot at Camp Taylor, we walked past the gate (which is next to the auto bridge crossing the creek). The trail begins at the end of this paved road. The trail connects Camp Taylor with Madrone Group Camp, and that’s only a 0.1-mile hike. We chose to continue straight towards Devil’s Gulch. We continued on the path until we reached the end and then turned back.
As noted above, the trail is currently impassable towards the end because a portion of the trail and a bridge were washed out. I estimated that we were able to hike about 0.7 miles of the 0.9 miles to Devil’s Gulch. Since we were looking for a relaxed evening hike, that was alright for us, but there are certainly better places to hike at Samuel P Taylor.
Gallery
The trail begins past this gate. 
The marker for North Creek Trail. 
North Creek Trail 
You can take the right-hand trail here to get to Madrone Group Camp, or continue straight towards Devil’s Gulch. 
A large tree had fallen here but was easy to walk around. 
North Creek Trail 
North Creek Trail 
North Creek Trail, with a tree to duck under. 
We saw a small bobcat in the bushes around here, but I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough. 
North Creek Trail finds the creek again here. 
The trail ends abruptly due to a washed out bridge but people have climbed up to the road here to get to Devil’s Gulch.
