Painter Creek

Painter Creek is a lightly maintained connector trail in the Chiwaukum Creek drainage, climbing 2,500 feet over 4.7 miles from the valley floor to the Icicle Ridge Trail. The route branches off the Chiwaukum Creek Trail, follows Painter Creek through forest, and reaches a junction with the Badlands Trail before continuing to a four-way intersection with Icicle Ridge. Beyond Icicle Ridge, the trail continues toward Lake Ida. The section between the Badlands junction and Icicle Ridge has not been formally maintained since 2014, and a USFS sign at the junction warns hikers accordingly.

This is a trail for experienced navigators seeking solitude in the Chiwaukum Mountains. Cairns mark the route through overgrown sections, but the tread disappears in places and requires confident routefinding. Trip reports describe this as a beautiful and lonely corridor, ideal for multi-day loops combining Painter Creek with Hatchery Creek, Badlands Trail, or Whitepine Creek. The road to the Hatchery Creek trailhead is not passable in most vehicles, so plan the approach carefully. Bugs are significant in summer.