Being a wilderness area, there are no signs or blazes in the Otter Creek area. The trails are, however, well worn and the intersections, for the most part, are marked with cairns. Bring an accurate map and trail description when undertaking any outing here.

Directions from US33 at Alpena Gap:

If traveling west on US33 turn right onto CO12.
Proceed 4.6 miles almost to a bridge that crosses Glady Fork.
Make a hairpin left turn onto FR162.

Almost immediately turn left into the Mylius Trailhead (sign on right side of FR162).

Google Custom Directions

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Printable/Downloadable Map

View 3-D Map of Short Route

View 3-D Map of Long Route

Zipped National Geographic. TOPO! GPS and Universal GPX Files

GPS Text File for Non-TOPO! Users

Trail Notes: Mylius Trail (TR128) starts as an old gravel jeep trail. As the grade increases a grassy jeep trail bears to the right. Continue straight on the well-worn road. You’ll cross a power line swath and a wildlife clearing (I don’t recall the order.). Soon the grade will increase even more as it passes an abandoned pasture full of Hay Scented Fern enclosed in barbed wire on the left. At this point bare right onto an obvious narrow footpath that climbs Shaver’s Mountain at an angle. For a short distance near the top you’ll find yourself back on a pretty flat jeep trail before the final ascent to the top of Mylius Gap on another narrow footpath.

The intersection with Shaver’s Mountain Trail (TR129) at about 1.6 miles from the beginning of the hike is at a flat area under a canopy of large trees with little under story. All four directions are marked with cairns. You’ve climbed 900 feet so far. Turn right onto Shaver’s Mountain Trail and climb another 400 feet over the next mile or so. Only the beginning of this ascent is steep. The rest is pretty gradual.

At about 2.00 miles from the last trail junction come to an apparent four-way intersection. A left turn will shortly lead you to a grassy area and spring. A right turn will lead to the site of an old shelter which has been removed. Both are good places to camp should the need arise.

Continue on for another 0.93 miles (Includes side trips to spring and old shelter site so is actually less) to the junction with Green Mountain Trail (TR130). There used to be a sign hanging from above on Shaver’s Mt Trail noting “Trail Abandoned” for the continuation of that trail. I think the trail has been rerouted away from that junction and it now, more or less, merges into Green Mountain Tr. There is no sign. Bear left (North-west) and follow Green mountain Trail to the junction with Possession Camp Trail (TR158) in a Grassy area surrounded by conifers. This is another good mountain top campsite if the small stream that crosses Possession Camp Trail close by has water.

SHORT ROUTE: Possession Camp Trail is one of the most picturesque mountainside trails in the valley. Almost it’s entire length is along a railroad grade encapsulated either with Spruce and Hemlock or mature deciduous trees. At one point you’ll descend between some large rocks and quickly regain the railroad grade.

In about 1.2 miles from the last turnoff cross the headwaters of Possession Camp Run. As you reach

the opposite bank look for a collection of lumbering artifacts that previous hikers have deposited on a large flat rock on the left side of the trail. In another 0.5 miles the trail will become exposed more to the sun and is the probable cause of a healthy growth of Green Brier in this area. This soon dissipates as a mature forest once again surrounds the trail. In another mile cross an un-named tributary with a nice set of mini-cascades and descend to Otter Creek (3 miles from the last trail intersection.

The intersection of Possession Camp Tr with Otter Creek (TR131) and Moore’s Run Trails (TR138 - on the other side of Otter Creek) occurs at a large rock. The intersection itself is marked with a cairn. Turn right and in about 0.2 miles reach a huge campsite. This is the first option for camping. There are other sites all along Otter Creek in either direction between Green Mountain Trail to the north and the Creek crossing south of Possession Camp Trail. When I lead this particular circuit we camped here and visited the many falls and slides between it and the next southern creek crossing on day one. On day two we left our gear and visited Moore’s Run (1.2 miles north of camp after crossing Otter Creek) and the falls in between before finishing our trip.

LONG ROUTE: From the junction of Possession Camp Tr and Green Mt Tr turn right (West) staying on Green Mt Tr. Initially you will be hiking on an old RR grade. In about 0.46 miles look for a cairn and footpath to the left off of the grade. Turn left here and follow the footpath for 1.58 miles to otter Creek. (You’ll pass one more campsite w/water at 0.67 miles after leaving the RR grade. This is the last campsite before the creek.) Turn left onto Otter Creek Tr. There are 3 campsites here. The middle one is hidden up on a hill and is not used much. The last is right at the creek crossing.

Proceed south on Otter Creek Tr. Fords are marked on the map. You’ll pass numerous waterfalls, rapids, chutes and swimming holes along the way. There is a short section a little after the first crossing where the trail leaves the RR grade and becomes a narrow footpath clinging to the side of a hill. There are a couple of bad blowdowns across the trail that can be tricky to climb over. Take your time and be careful!!! Make sure you visit the confluence of Moore Run with the creek. It’s the best break/lunch spot on the creek! At 3.1 miles from the last major crossing of Otter Creek cross one more time and arrive at a huge campsite along the creek. This also used to be a site of a shelter that was removed in keeping with wilderness regs.

If you get a chance visit Moore Run Bogs. Continue south on Otter Creek Trail for a few hundred yard to a cairn on the right just before Possession Camp Tr on the left (Big Rock). Cross the creek, climb a short hill to gain a RR grade and follow the trail for about 3.1 miles. (The trail continues further to the junction of McGowan Mt. Tr.) You’ll be able to see the bog to the left. Look for a faint trail covered with a few limbs to the left. Bushwhack at an oblique angle to the trail until you run into a Rhododendron thicket. Pick your way through this to eventually reach the bog.

CONTINUATION OF BOTH ROUTES: From camp head south (upstream) on Otter Creek Trail, passing Moore Run Tr on the right and Possession Camp Trail on the left.

Ford Otter Creek at about 0.3 miles above Possession Camp Trail. In about 0.7 miles reach Mylius Trail marked by cairns. Turn left onto Mylius and ford Otter Creek for the last time.

Climb steeply up Mylius trail for about 0.84 miles until you reach the gap and junction with Shaver’s Mountain Trail that you visited on the first day. Descend on Mylius Trail, retracing your initial steps back to your cars.

The origin of the el fresco industrial artifact museum: On the links (Otter Creek-SW and Otter Creek BP) that describe trips to the Otter Creek Wilderness area we make mention of this museum. We often pondered who started this neat display of horseshoes, railroad spikes, steel straps and other industrial implements laid out so neatly on a rock on the bank of Possession Camp Run at the ford of the trail by the same name. Here’s the story:

Hello MrHyker,

I was reading your description of Otter Creek. Been there many times,
and I had to grin at the sentence describing the artifacts on the flat rock
on possession Camp trail, where it crosses the creek.

My wife & I visited that area for the first time in the early 80's. She
was the one who started that "display". She's always finding interesting
stuff on the trail. I look around, she's always looking down it seems,
and making me stop to examine some interesting what-ever that I just
stepped over.

We were eating lunch at that location, and the first thing she noticed
in what was then a sandy spot in the stream was an old horseshoe. Then
she found something else, then another widget, then another
thingamabob.......It was a kinda fun game for about an hour as we dug
around in the creek and found stuff, and laid it on the rock.

In 2004, I repeated that hike, and I'd all but forgotten about that
incident until I happened on that rock, now covered with all kinds of
stuff. Nearly brought me to tears because she can't hike anymore, but
there was one of the many legacies of our WV excursions over the years. Took
a couple of pictures that day, found something else to add to the pile,
and left it for the historians to figure out.

I enjoy your web site. Will have comments to add to it later.

Bruce

Printable/Downloadable Directions and Trail Notes

Read about our 2004 trip!

Read about our 2005 trip!

Critique this outing

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Name: Ramesh Hike: Otter Creek Backpack
Date: 9/22/2006 Rating: 5

Critique: Just wanted to add to Melissa's note that the coordinates for the turnoff for the overlook from Green Mountain trail are 39deg 00.802min N, 79deg 38.187min W. The overlook itself (at least the one I went to) is at 39deg 00.868min N, 79 deg 38.235 min W, with the trail to the overlook being 0.1 miles long. When coming back from the overlook and if heading towards Otter Creek, make note of the turnoff to make a sharp right onto Green Mountain Trail; otherwise, if you don't pay attention, you will end up heading towards Possession Camp Trail (and waste some time backtracking when you realize your mistake!)________________________________________

Name: WVwanderer Hike: Otter Creek Backpack
Date: 08/4-5/06 Rating: 5

Critique: We decided to head back to Otter Creek Wilderness last weekend and explore some more of the area. Another great hike in an area that is quickly becoming my favorite place to hike. A complete description of our hike with photos can be found at http://wvwilderness.blogspot.com under the heading "Otter Creek Backpack" (August 2006 archives if it is no longer on the main page)

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Name: Melissa Hike: Otter Creek Backpack
Date: May 27-28 - 06 Rating: 4

Critique: Great info! We just got back from the same hike- although we hiked it in reverse order. I wish I had read this site before going. We spent quite a bit of time looking for the turn off to Shaver's Mountain Trail (from Green Mtn. Trail) only to realize we were already on Shaver's. Adding to our confusion was the "missing" Adirondack shelter. If you go on this hike, make sure to bring at least a good topo and compass.

I noticed you didn't mention the great overlook (and small camp spot) at the beginning of the descent to Otter Creek from the Green Mountain trail. After crossing through a meadow, look for a trail on the right marked with a cairn. It's a little bit out of the way, but well worth it. (I forgot to mark it on the GPS- sorry!)

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Name: Michael P. Bishton Hike: Otter Creek Backpack

Date: Sep 8, 2005 Ranking: 4

Critique: Thanks for the thoughtful effort you put into the information on your web site and to the service you provide the hiking/backpacking community in this area. The information on your web site really helped a lot in making this trip possible so that we would not get lost along the way and could enjoy the sights that Otter Creek had to offer. We plan to go back.

We really enjoyed the varying landscape and microclimates that were a constant and changing feast for the eyes as we hiked along. From fern-covered areas under tall shading trees, through deep woods with fallen moss-encrusted trees and rocks, lovely meadows and the delightful walk along the creek. We camped on the edge of one of the meadows and watched the stars come out and fill in the arc that formed the Milky Way.

We started late from the Mylius parking lot and hiked in a counter-clockwise direction, so we did not camp at the Otter Creek camp site that you show at the northern-most point on your map. We camped on the edge of a lovely circular clearing that exists at the intersection of the dark blue trail (on your topo map) and Green Mountain Trail.

Your waypoints that shows camping/water sites came in really handy! I printed out your GPS text file and put your waypoints into my little GPS, which helped a lot because I knew when we were approaching the waypoints. My GPS agreed exactly with your waypoint locations but not with the total trip miles. Mine showed 14.9 miles with my tracking set on highest. I thought that was interesting.

I printed out your hike description, which helped a lot as we went along so that we would know what to look for as we reached the important waypoints.

I was able to help three backpackers along the way because of the information that we had taken with us from your web site (topo map, description and GPS log). Two of the backpackers took note of your web site - midatlantichikers.com - and planned to visit it for future hikes in this general area.

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Name: Steve Kelley Hike: Otter Creek Backpack

Date: Sept 17-18, 2005 Ranking: 4

Critique: If you want to experience a moderate, yet wild backpack, this is a good choice. While the hike up Shavers Mt. is nice, there are no views other than looking up under the tree canopy; the rewards are subtle, but the solitude is sublime.

However, the star of this show is Otter Creek. At the north end of the trail, boulders the size of shotgun shacks litter the creek like play things. In the middle section of the trail, the water cascades off platters of stone. It is very hard to stray away from the creek once you reach it.

One of my questions heading out was how long it would take to reach the trailhead. From Loudoun, we were able to arrive at the Mylius trailhead off CO 12 in 3:30, not including a 30 minute stop at Seneca Rocks en route. It's about 40 minutes from Seneca Rocks, crossing over the Eastern Continental divide

We followed the directions for the loop up Shavers Mt. trail. The transition in the vegetation was quite interesting the further we advanced up the ridge. When we reached the rhododendron thickets, we thought "how interesting." Little did we know that they would become omnipresent for the remainder of the hike and give us a healthy appreciation for avoiding at all costs.

The transition from the Shavers Mt. to the Green Mt. trail is gradual and not at all obvious as mentioned. Not traveling with a GPS, we relied on the description along with our map printout and a compass. The rest was dead reckoning, and with obstructed views of the surrounding landforms, this was, at times, a crapshoot. But we pressed on.

By the time we reached the intersection with the Possession Camp trail, it was about 3 PM and we had been hiking steadily for 3 hours. We decided to set our sights on reaching the north end of Otter Creek continuing on Green Mt. trail. However, we ended up following several single-track paths through fern covered terrain, but the paths seemed a bit inconclusive - not quite sure of the railroad grade mentioned which we thought would be fairly obvious.

We backtracked toward the cairns, then warily entered a trail that seemed to have what looked like a railroad grade berm on either side. I say warily because the rhododendron crowded in on the path, reducing it to a mere 12" of space at shoulder height. We gamely advanced through the thicket as the branches beat on our packs like a car wash. To say we weren't too certain this was the path would be an understatement. But the berm that ran parallel to our route indicated it was some residual railroad grade. Eventually, it opened up and we made it out of the thicket, but the thought of perhaps being wrong of the path was a source of some consternation, but the compass indicated we were headed in the right direction.

The remainder of the trail followed the script all the way to the final toe jam section down to Otter Creek. We made it there by 4:30.

We turned south at that point and set up camp about 150 yards north of the intersection. The campsite was very nice and offered privacy. Not having time to explore extensively, we set up camp and prepared to rest. The creek was pretty cold, but I managed to ice down my feet and legs in a shallow pool - it was very peaceful.

The next morning, we dawdled a bit and didn't break camp until almost 10:00. Looking at the map, we thought the ford was at the far northern tip to where the trail is colored red. We headed right (north, or downstream) from our campsite, past the Green Mt. trail intersection, until we figured we could ford the creek.

We crossed the creek, but on the other side there was no obvious trail. How could it be? We crossed back. Then went further south (up stream) and tried again. On the other side, the ubiquitous rhododendron embraced us like tourists on the wrong side of town. This was getting weird, we thought. We crossed back again. Finally, we walked back to our campsite - there had to be a trail across the creek! We crossed - no trail. We crossed back, but then I spied cairns upstream about 50 yards. The ford was marked with a tall cairn of rocks on either side.

Chagrined, we went up stream, took off our boots and waded to the west bank. Nearly 2 hours after setting off we finally crossed the damn creek about 200 yards upstream (south) of our campsite. We had basically had camped on the Otter Creek trail without realizing it.

We then had to hike double time to get back on schedule. We made it over/around blowdowns and muddy corduroy paths as the trail hovered over Otter Creek and finally took in some very picturesque waterfalls. A lost hunting dog adopted us along the way and we had lunch at the Moore Run falls.

Around the time that we forded back to the to the east shore (this should be marked "Ford #2" if heading south) of Otter Creek at just south of the Possession Camp trail intersection, we ran into a group that was a little confused by the trail. We estimated we were near Possession Camp, but were pretty much opposite Devils Gulch. However, after leaving them behind, we crossed at a ford to the West Bank (ford #3 southbound) then ended up continuing upstream (south) some more.

We ended up missing the cairn marking the Mylius Trail ford (#4 crossing from northwest to southest). We overshot it by almost a mile and had to retreat. We ran into the same group - also using your description. For some reason, they were just as confused by the Possession Camp/Otter Creek intersection as we were. The compass told us we were going west-southwest and we knew we had missed a turn.

We went back to the cairn and crossed the creek. We found the Mylius trail up a steep embankment as described. The rest of the trail was a sprint back up the Mylius Gap and back to the car. We had made it out of the Otter Creek Wilderness Area. It was not easy, but we wanted a challenge. But the challenge was in interpreting the directions - perhaps more detail on the fords (cross to the east or west bank). I believe that we were thrown off by the ford (second from the north on your map) that we did not have to cross. A picture and reference to the Moore's Run falls would allow for one distinct landmark (it is listed simply as a ford on your map)

Closer scrutiny of the directions revealed where we got off track, but the Mylius / Otter Creek intersection was obvious (traveled southwest more that 10 minutes!) once we realized our mistake. Without a GPS, compasses are an absolute must, but don't expect to make out landforms other than the creek - every ridge looks nearly identical to the uninitiated! While it would be nice to follow the Adirondack's definition of wilderness areas and, at minimum, identify trailhead markers, you get none of that help here.

The water was low enough to allow us to "dry ford" all but the northernmost ford. While the water was cold, I can see how it would captivate kids of all ages to check out some of the chutes and slides and swimming holes. With kids (age 12+), I would suggest bypassing Shavers Mt. and going directly to the .28 Mile ford and setting up camp. Perhaps go another mile downstream (north) to the Moore Run campsites on the West Side of the creek. Use the time to explore the creek! You need to get wet!

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