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