North Fork Middle Fork American River

Wild factor • 7                                          Trout rating • 5

Grouse Creek

Wild factor • 8                                                Trout rating • 5

Directions from I-80 in Auburn:

Take Foresthill Rd./Auburn Ravine Rd. exit 0.2 miles.
East on Foresthill Rd.                                    17.2 miles.
Right on Mosquito Ridge Rd.                          10 miles.
Drive past Oxbow Reservoir                          8.5 miles.
Left on National Forest Road 33                      4 miles.
Left on Cuckoo Ridge Road                            0.1 - 0.3 miles.
Park on the right. Drop 1,000 feet in elevation into canyon on unmaintained trails. 

     Environmental writer Tim Palmer was probably thinking of a place like Grouse Creek when he described rivers as "the unspoiled Eden." Trails don't go to the stream in the stretch between the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River and the 600-foot Grouse Falls. At this time of year, direct sunlight doesn't either. 

    The rays that make it over Cuckoo Ridge to the south light up unnamed granite spires on the north, leaving the small freestone stream in shadows. The creek drops hundreds of feet in a mile in a series of 10-foot waterfalls. Ferns and moss, dripping wet, cover the shores. Broken and rotting tree limbs hang from vines over the river.

     A dream about a car wreck awoke me this morning in the back of my truck on Mosquito Ridge Road, a loud bang into a world of snow and silence. I saw one car last night - a tow truck heading the other way lugging an SUV crushed to the size of an NEV - but at 6 a.m. I was looking at vacant roads and dark evergreen forests. One road continued up the mountain; the other, my route, disappeared under an avalanche of snow. 

     Guessing it wouldn't last, I snowshoed over it with my mountain bike in tow. I used a headlamp for the first few minutes and found more snow on the other side, stuck to the road but thawed on the hills all the way to Peavine Creek and beyond. 

     Four miles later, my bike abandoned, I sunk, rolled and hiked across the last bit of snow and down into the canyon below Grouse Falls. The stream became progressively easier as I followed it to the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River, but no less beautiful. 

     Feeder creeks poured in over mossy shelves. Giant ponderosa pines, peeled and water-polished, crisscrossed the water, making it easy to drop nymphs into the middle of deep holes. One little fish left its winter hide-out to take my offering but quickly shook loose. 

     I fished a few pools on the North Fork before heading back, in the remote stretch below the Western States Trail footbridge on the river. Climbing out of the canyon, I opened up a painful blister on my right foot that was crippling on the steep slopes. I took off my shoe and made better progress until, about an hour later, I emerged on Cuckoo Ridge, in a tattered sock, and worked my way to where I had started. 

    For a decent and free contour map of Grouse Creek, go to topozone. Click "view maps" and search "Grouse Creek, CA." From the torrent of creeks named after the game bird in the state choose the one in Placer County. 

The List

from south to north

SOUTH COAST WATERSHEDS
Santa Margarita River

MOJAVE WATERSHED
Deep Creek

WHITEWATER WATERSHED
North Fork Whitewater River
Middle Fork Whitewater River
East Fork Whitewater River
South Fork Whitewater River

SANTA ANA WATERSHED
Middle Fork Santa Ana River
South Fork Santa Ana River
Bear Creek
Middle Fork Lytle Creek
South Fork Lytle Creek

SANTA CLARA WATERSHED
Upper Sespe Creek
Upper Piru Creek
Lower Piru Creek
Santa Paula Creek

VENTURA WATERSHED
Matilija Creek
North Fork Matilija Creek

SANTA YNEZ WATERSHED
Santa Ynez River
Santa Cruz Creek
Indian Creek
Mono Creek

SISQUOC WATERSHED
South Fork Sisquoc River
Manzana Creek
North Fork La Brea Creek
South Fork La Brea Creek

ARROYO GRANDE WATERSHED
Lopez Creek

SALINAS WATERSHED
Salinas River
Arroyo Seco River
Tassajara Creek

LITTLE SUR WATERSHED
Little Sur River
North Fork Little Sur River
South Fork Little Sur River

CARMEL WATERSHED
Carmel River

GREAT BASIN WATERSHED
Cottonwood Creek

OWENS WATERSHED
Glass Creek
Deadman Creek
Upper Owens River
Hot Creek
Convict Creek
Laurel Creek
McGee Creek
Rock Creek
Fish Slough
South Fork Bishop Creek
Bishop Creek
Big Pine Creek
Lone Pine Creek
Independence Creek
George Creek
Cottonwood Creek

MONO LAKE WATERSHED
Lee Vining Creek
Upper Parker Creek Walker Creek
Walker Creek
Mill Creek
South Fork Mill Creek

WALKER WATERSHED
West Walker River
East Walker River
Mill Creek
Atastra Creek
Rough Creek
Virginia Creek
Green Creek
Dog Creek

CARSON WATERSHED
East Carson River

KERN WATERSHED
Little Kern River
Golden Trout Creek
Lower South Fork Kern River
Chimney Creek

TULE WATERSHED
North Fork Tule River
North Fork Middle Fork Tule River

KAWEAH WATERSHED
North Fork Kaweah River
Middle Fork Kaweah River
East Fork Kaweah River

KINGS WATERSHED
Kings River

SAN JOAQUIN WATERSHED
North Fork San Joaquin River
Middle Fork San Joaquin River
South Fork San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River

MERCED WATERSHED
North Fork Merced River

TUOLUMNE WATERSHED
Clavey River
Bell Creek
Lily Creek
Bourland Creek
Cherry Creek
North Fork Cherry Creek
East Fork Cherry Creek
West Fork Cherry Creek
Buck Meadow Creek
South Fork Tuolumne River

STANISLAUS WATERSHED
North Fork Stanislaus River
Stanislaus River
Middle Fork Stanislaus River
Disaster Creek
Clark Fork Stanislaus River
Deadman Creek
Kennedy Creek
Summit Creek
Relief Creek
Eagle Creek
Long Valley Creek
Niagara Creek
South Fork Stanislaus River

MOKELUMNE WATERSHED
North Fork Mokelumne River
Pacific Creek
Summit City Creek
Lower Bear River
Beaver Creek
Cole Creek
Green Creek

COSUMNES WATERSHED
North Fork Cosumnes River
Middle Fork Cosumnes River

AMERICAN WATERSHED
Lower North Fork American River
New York Canyon
North Fork North Fork American River
Big Granite Creek
Little Granite Creek
Middle Fork American River
Upper Rubicon River
Lower Rubicon River
North Fork Middle Fork American River
Screwauger Creek
Grouse Creek
South Fork American River
Pyramid Creek
Caples Creek
Silver Fork American River

TRUCKEE WATERSHED
Upper Truckee River
Lower Truckee River
Martis Creek
Cold Stream
Little Truckee River
Perazzo Canyon
Independence Creek
Sagehen Creek
Alder Creek

YUBA WATERSHED
North Yuba River
Slate Creek
Canyon Creek
Downie River
Lavezzola Creek
Pauley Creek
Empire Creek
New York Ravine
Middle Yuba River
East Fork Creek
Macklin Creek
Oregon Creek
Upper South Yuba River
Lower Castle Creek
Fordyce Creek
Lower South Yuba River
Humbug Creek

FEATHER WATERSHED
North Fork Feather River
East Branch North Fork Feather River
Yellow Creek
Indian Creek
Squirrel Creek
Chips Creek
Mill Creek
Silver Creek
Indian Creek II
Last Chance Creek
Squaw Queen Creek
Little Last Chance Creek
Frazier Creek
Jamison Creek
Nelson Creek
East Branch Nelson Creek
West Branch Nelson Creek
Dixon Creek
McCarthy Creek
Onion Valley Creek
Bear Creek
South Branch Middle Fork Feather River
Little North Fork Feather River
Fall River

SACRAMENTO WATERSHED
Upper Sacramento River
McCloud River
Squaw Valley Creek
Sacramento River
Bear Creek
Battle Creek
Paynes Creek
North Fork Antelope Creek
South Fork Antelope Creek
Deer Creek
Mill Creek
Big Chico Creek
Butte Creek
Clear Creek
North Fork Cottonwood Creek
Middle Fork Cottonwood Creek
Beegum Creek
South Fork Cottonwood Creek
Thomes Creek
Middle Fork Stony Creek

NORTH COAST WATERSHEDS
Lacks Creek
Redwood Creek
Mad River
Mattole River
Bridge Creek
Jewett Creek

EEL WATERSHED
Red Mountain Creek
Casoose Creek
Hulls Creek
Upper Middle Fork Eel River
Balm of Gilead Creek
Black Butte River
Cold Creek
Elk Creek
Eden Creek
Deep Hole Creek
Elder Creek
Tenmile Creek
Rattlesnake Creek
Cedar Creek
East Branch South Fork Eel River
Tomki Creek
Fish Creek
Indian Creek
Woodman Creek
White Rock Creek
Shell Rock Creek
Bell Creek
Charleton Creek
Pipe Creek
Coleman Creek
Butte Creek

TRINITY WATERSHED
Canyon Creek
Upper North Fork Trinity River
Virgin Creek
Upper South Fork Trinity River
Hayfork Creek

KLAMATH WATERSHED
Boles Creek
Willow Creek
Upper Klamath River
Jenny Creek
Shasta River
Kelsey Creek
Grider Creek
Elk Creek
Burney Vally Creek
Granite Creek
Rainey Valley Creek
Toms Valley Creek
Clear Creek
West Fork Clear Creek
Tenmile Creek
Ukonom Creek
Dillon Creek
North Fork Dillon Creek
Blue Creek
Upper Wooley Creek
Upper North Fork Salmon River
South Fork Russian Creek
Upper South Fork Salmon River
East Fork South Fork Salmon River
French Creek
Antelope Creek

OTHER RIVERS

Salmon Creek

Villa Creek