Great Western Trail - Pine Creek Section

The Pine Creek Section (Forest Trail #34001.6) is a stretch of the Great Western Trail in Dixie National Forest, part of the roughly 80 miles of the GWT that runs through the Escalante Ranger District. Its main practical advantage over some neighboring sections is water: this segment has access at McGath Lake, Sand Creek, and Pine Creek itself, a rare enough thing on this dry plateau backcountry that it's worth planning around.

Good to know

• Reliable-ish water sources make this section useful for stringing together longer multi-day GWT trips through the Escalante district
• As with the rest of the Dixie backcountry GWT, expect forest terrain, old roads, and limited signage rather than a manicured single-track
• Treat or filter any water drawn from creeks or the lake before drinking

Pair this with the neighboring Sweetwater or McGath sections if you're through-hiking rather than day-tripping — the water access is the reason to route through here.