- Bear Creek (California)
There are at least seven streams named Bear Creek in
California .Colusa County
Bear Creek in
Colusa County joinsCache Creek just a few miles upstream from the town ofRumsey . The upstream section of Bear Creek cuts through Bear Valley, which provides one of the most spectacular spring wildflower displays in California (geographic coordinates N 39.16308 W 122.43988). Farther downstream the Bear Creek whitewater section is suitable for kayaking (N 39.04029 W 122.40812).Fresno County
Bear Creek in
Fresno County joins the south fork of theSan Joaquin River betweenFlorence Lake andEdison Lake at about convert|7500|ft|m|-1 elevation in theKaiser Wilderness .From Fresno one would travel up State Route 168 past
Shaver Lake andHuntington Lake to theKaiser Pass , and park at theBear Creek diversion dam . The Bear Creek trail joins thePacific Crest Trail in convert|5.5|mi|km|1 at about convert|9000|ft|m|-2 elevation. Wilderness permits may be obtained at the Kaiser Pass ranger station.The Hilgard branch of Bear Creek originates under Bear Creek Spire convert|14|mi|km|0 above the diversion dam at convert|12000|ft|m|-2. The trail leaves the Pacific Crest Trail convert|8|mi|km|0 from the diversion dam. The creek flows under Mt Hilgard by
Lake Italy just north ofItaly Pass on the shoulder ofMt Julius Caesar . From Italy Pass one may hike convert|6|mi|km|0 to the Pine Creek trailhead to emerge on U.S. Route 395 just north of Bishop in the easternSierras .The east fork of Bear Creek leaves the Pacific Crest Trail convert|9|mi|km|0 from the diversion dam at upper Bear Creek Meadow. This fork’s origin is convert|13|mi|km|0 above the dam at convert|11500|mi|km|-2 elevation beneath
Seven Gables Peak . It starts among the "Bear Lakes" -- Little Bear Lake, Big Bear Lake, Ursa Lake, Black Bear Lake, White Bear Lake, Bear Paw Lake, Den Lake, Claw Lake and Tooth Lake.The south fork of Bear Creek leaves the Pacific Crest Trail convert|10|mi|km|0 from the dam and proceeds to seven Gables Lakes convert|13|mi|km|0 from the dam at convert|11000|ft|m|-2.
The west fork of Bear Creek follows the Pacific Crest Trail convert|13|mi|km|0 from the dam to its origin at
Marie Lake just belowSeldon Pass .Other Bear Creeks in California
*
Mariposa County : Starting near Midpines Summit (elevation approx. 3,000 feet), Bear Creek flows alongsideHighway 140 , then descends very steeply, joining theMerced River at Bagby.*
Merced County : Bear Creek flows west across theSan Joaquin Valley and through the heart of the city of Merced.*Sonoma County contains three creeks with this name:
#Bear Creek (Sonoma Creek) a minor tributary ofSonoma Creek located northeast of the town of Kenwood [gnis|218803|Bear Creek]
# a tributary of McDonnell Creek on theMaacama Creek watershed [gnis|218805|Bear Creek]
# a creek that feeds intoLake Sonoma [gnis|218806|Bear Creek]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.