Camel Creek - Camel Falls
Camel Falls is located on the east fork of Camel Creek about three miles south of the Mudflat Road.
It is a high, but seasonal waterfall located in a short gorge. After spring runoff the falls are
reduced to a trickle or disappear altogether. People sometimes rappel the falls into the large
pool at its base. Some have spanned the gorge with ropes and made a spectacular Tyrolean traverse
from one rim to the other.
To get there drive the Mudflat Road (also known as the Owyhee Uplands Byway ) to GPS coordinates
N42° 35’ 12.6’’ W116° 38’ 40.9’’ This is at a big pullout near an old corral. If you are coming
from the east (Grandview), you will see a pond off to the right roughly two miles before the corrals
on the left. The west end of the Mudflat Road can be reached from the intersection of highway 78
and highway 95 which is known as Burns Junction. From Burns Junction, go south on highway 95 to
Jordan Valley Junction, and turn left on Yturri Boulevard. Three miles from Jordan Valley Junction
turn right onto the Mudflat Road at a junction. The pavement ends in about 5 miles after which the
road is good gravel. The east end of the Mudflat Road can be reached from Highway 78 a few miles east of Grandview.
From the road hike south southeast for about three miles over fairly flat terrain. There is no trail. It is also
possible to approach the canyon by hiking in a draw. Both routes are about equally challenging. The draw is more scenic.
The GPS coordinates for the gorge are N42° 32’ 42.6’’ W116° 37’ 22.4’’
Maps: USGS quads; Wagon Box Basin, Slack Mountain
The map below was provided by Matt Weyen. Photos of the area can be seen at his website at
http://mcweyen.blogspot.com/2008/06/camel-falls-and-ste-chapelles.html
(Click to enlarge)
The following photos were provided by Thomas Oetzell. More fine photographs of canyon and mountain
scenery can be seen at his website at www.lafn.org/~waltmerce/index.html
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