Off the crest: hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the Feather River Canyon from Belden to Chips Creek

Feather River Canyon near Belden (seen from Pacific Crest Trail, Aug. 29, 2024)

The very short section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through the Feather River Canyon gives you a break from the scenic path along the crest with its endless points of panoramic views. Following this path west of Belden (Plumas County, CA), you are traversing the steep northside slopes and tributaries along the Feather River—and you are exploring the (official) boundary between the Sierras and the Cascades [1]. 

Belden Town Resort and Lodge at Feather River

At Belden, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses the Feather River rail line, the Feather River itself, and State Route 70 connecting Quincy and Oroville. At the PCT trailhead next to the Feather River Highway you will find a plaque-on-stone marker summarizing its history as a  “state route of changing numbers”: 

This highway was opened to auto traffic on August 14, 1937 as State Route 24. It was later changed to State Route 40A and finally to State Route 70. 

Belden Powerhouse with penstock

Near the historical marker is a gazebo with an interpretive panel featuring the “Stairway to Power”— a reference to the nine powerhouses in the North Fork Feather River from above Lake Almanor down to Poe Powerhouse upstream of Lake Oroville. 

The Belden Powerhouse [2] is part of this system of  hydroelectric power plants including reservoirs and tunnels:

Water is diverted through tunnels and dropped through steep pipes called penstocks. It then travels through powerhouses (like the one here at Belden) where the water spins turbines connected to generators. The electricity enter a grid that supplies power to 12 western states. At maximum production, 18,000 gallons flow through the Belden Powerhouse...every second!

At the other end of the parking lot you may want to explore the Eby Stamp Mill—a reminder of the hard rock gold mining days. Stairs are leading into the open structure for close-up inspection of the mill. Only five of the original ten ore-crushing stamps have been made part of this historic mill restoration [3]. 

Eby Stamp Mill

PCT incline next to the Eby Stamp Mill

The PCT sign next to the Eby Stamp Mill can't be missed. This is the beginning of the roughly one-mile long path to Chips Creek. After a short ascend the trail levels off. There are sections with views of the river below. One section leads away (north) from the main canyon through a forested area with a tributary.

PCT bridge over Feather River tributary

Once you have crossed the bridge over the creek, the trail goes back (south) and then follows the Feather River Canyon until—under an electric transmission line—it bends northward at another tributary: Chips Creek. A short walk and you will arrive at a 0.3-mile-long path downhill to the water.

The PCT inclines upwards along the eastside slopes of Chips Creek—soon leaving the shaded area. The trail still follows creek.for a while and continues to the Caribou Wilderness and Burney Falls State Park (over 100 miles to the north). Backpacking into these areas, you definitely will have left the Sierras and entered the southern Cascades. While you will find reminders of glacial origins in both ranges, active signs of volcanic origin become more frequent in the Cascades [4].

V-shaped Chips Creek

Getting there

Going west on State Route 70, pass the left-side bridge across the Feather River and find parking on the right side at the Eby Stamp Mill. The northbound PCT into the Cascades starts here (see picture above). No overnight parking!

References and more to explore

[1] Where do the Sierras end and the Cascades begin? URL: https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/187007197795/where-do-the-sierras-end-and-the-cascades-begin. 

[2] Belden. GridInfo. URL: https://www.gridinfo.com/plant/belden/219.

[3] Plumas County Points of Interest. Eby Stamp Mill. NoeHill Travels in California. URL: https://noehill.com/plumas/poi_eby_stamp_mill.asp.

[4] Steve Huthman. Pacific Crest Trail Ca N - Hwy 70 at Belden Town to Burney Falls. Alltrails. August 5, 2000. URL: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/pacific-crest-trail-ca-n-california-section-n-highway-70-to-burney-falls.