Lewis Creek Trail Hiker Reviews

Loved this hike. Trail is well maintained, with many recently downed trees already taken care of. And there's now a new bridge over the creek en route to Red Rock Falls, for those who are nervous about crossing over on the log.

Visited Lewis Creek over Memorial Day weekend. Me and my friends had a blast. Weather was great and the scenery was amazing. Appears to be a very popular place with the large number of people we saw but definitely worth the drive. The trails are easy/moderate for most folks and sits just off of highway 41. Perfect place for a day hike with friends or family.

Lewis Creek is one of our favorite hikes, as it is pretty easy for us to do. It's kind of surprising that a very nice hike like this is so close to the highway. It's really like two hikes. You can do the upper and lower or just choose one and save the other for another day. My husband has an issue with one of his legs, so the lower, Corlieu Falls section is definitely out for us now. So beautiful, but too steep for him. The hike up the creek to Red Rock Falls is a longer, more gradual climb, and you are still rewarded with a beautiful waterfall to see. And, you can actually get into the water there if you like. Be warned that in the summertime there are rattlesnakes in some areas. They don't like you probably more than you don't like them, and they want to avoid you, but we did see a pretty good size one cross in front of us near the start of the Red Rock trail where there are more scrubby plants growing. Just stay on the trail and you will be fine. I am looking forward to taking my 10 1/2 year old grandson on the trail this summer, but will wait to take my 5 year old granddaughter, as I think it might still be a little long for her.

I love this trail. It is just long enough with an amazing destination. Strenuous enough to get the heart rate up but not so intense that it is a difficult hike... most of the journey is pretty level with ups and downs along the way. Plenty of spots to rest and just enjoy nature. Trail is clean and well maintained even with the recent fires (as damage is evident in many spots). Great for nature photography. The falls are amazing and worth the stee hike down (and back up). Holidays, and the uncharacteristically warmer weather seems to have made it busier this winter (no snow), and parking was a challenge as we had to wait for others to leave before parking; but this is uncommon. Generally we run into one or two people during a regular weekday morning. It’s is not so far to drive from Fresno/Clovis so it makes for a nice short getaway from the city for a few hours compared to much longer drive into Yosemite or trip to the coast. It is quite a magical journey that once you travel it once, you want to go again.

What a wonderful hike. The trail is easy to walk, and the waterfalls are a real surprise. Not as tall as the ones in Yosemite, but just as beautiful as the ones in YNP. In the summer when the water flow slows down there are some great places you can get into the water and have a great time.

When we started the hike we noticed barely any water was in the creek. We decided to go upstream to Red Rock Falls. We got a distance of 1.75 from the parking lot to the falls. Side feeder creeks were totally dry. There was some water in pools and flowing over as falls, but it was considerably less than pictured. It did provide some shade and cooling. It also was not as buggy as I expected. I am sure this is pretty when the flow is higher (normal) but it's clear that the drought has affected this area.

May 5, 2015, was the first time I ever took this hike, although I walked a much longer distance than was described in this article.

As background, I have extensive experience hiking, backpacking, and trail running in Yosemite. I have lived in Oakhurst for more than a decade, but somehow I just never took advantage of this opportunity. Today I did, and I'm glad for it!

California has been experiencing a drought for the past 4 years. Nevertheless, both Red Rock and Corlieu Falls have water in them, and the flow is still majestic in a different way. Instead of a single, massive fall, each have branched into myriad smaller falls, some of which appear to be springs leaping forth from the rock face!

There are a couple of hidden spots where sulfurous upwellings both fragrance and warm the water. One is right near Corlieu Falls, and the other is further up near Red Rock Falls. You'll know you're there when you see the bright green on the underwater rocks that doesn't look like any moss you've ever seen before!

The review is correct: There were definitely mosquitoes along the way. They're mostly juvenile, though, and their bites didn't well up as thickly as from the adults.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable hike, and if you're a novice hiker - or you just want to get your sea legs in shape - this is a great hike. There are a number of areas where the elevation change is nominal, and you can stretch your legs out for a long stride. And if you're a trail runner, the lush forest covering will afford you great filtered-sunlight viewing all along the way!

We have a cabin in Sugar Pine, very close to the end of this trail. I love to get up in the morning and run this trail. I rarely see company on the trail and get to enjoy the quiet solitude of the giant sugar pines and cedars. Red Rock falls is a great place to relax and get wet on a hot summer afternoon. My boys love to have contests on who can stick their head in the waterfall the longest. Corleiu falls is much closer to the 41 highway and therefore gets a lot more visitors. It is still a very beautiful falls and well worth the trip.

We enjoyed this hike in late December. It's been a dry year, so there wasn't much snow. We're used to more signage on trails, this one had nothing at the trailhead. At 1.7 miles there's an old sign, but nothing to point the way to red rock falls. We would have missed the side trail to the falls if we weren't looking for some sunny rocks to sit on. The water was low, but still a very scenic and enjoyable hike. And we saw mountain lion tracks in the snow, added excitement for all!

We had a perfect light rain yesterday, everything seemed so alive from the moisture. The colors and mossy trees on this hike were breathtaking. We were so engaged in it we didn't realize we were hiking downhill most of the time. At Corlieu Falls, better climbers have the option to climb down the slippery rocks to an amazing view of the upper falls. I enjoyed this challenge but my friend and dogs stayed behind. Lewis Creek has a series of pools surrounded by ferns, dogwood, and moss covered rocks and trees that look like a fairy tale. On the way back up you'll get that workout you were looking for since it's all uphill :) We're heading back today!

I have been hiking since a child. My first summit was Mt Lassen as a 9 yo. I have been employed in Yosemite NP since 1996 - so hiking is a true love for me. I have been hiking the Lewis Creek Trail for over a decade. Recently, due to improved health on my part - I have been running the trail!! It is a fabulous experience - even in full summer heat! The shade and coolness provided by both the creek and the surrounding trees makes for a very pleasant excursion. As a woman who runs alone, I have never felt threatened by animals - human or otherwise. And a sit down at any point in the run in the creek makes the rest feel even better! I love trails where even when you are going up you get some down, and there is lots of that in this trail!! It is never boring, last year saw multiple bear piles along the upper part of the trail and in the past I have seen mountain lion tracks!!

A beautiful hike!! I take my visitors there, & they love it. Winter is just as pretty to hike, because you have moss & winter vegetation that gives the trail a rain forest kind of look. The waterfalls are beautiful, & there are pools to get into. Definitely recommend it.

Great hike, it is family friendly and the views are nice.