Symmes Creek

[Joshua]

Does anyone know how to get to Symmes creek in Inyo county.
I have gone looking more than once and have not found it.
Thanks

[flytyingreloader]

Joshua--very dated (1975), from Sierra South by T. Winnett and K. Schwenke, pp. 184--

Symmes Creek Trailhead Go 4-1/2 miles west from Independence on the Onion Valley Road, turn left and go 1.3 miles to a fork, take the right-hand fork, and follow the Shepherd Pass Trail signs to the backpackers' trailhead (different from the horsepackers' trailhead).

Be in GOOD shape if you plan to try this one. It is......strenuous........steep. BT/DT, when much younger.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

Are you looking for the creek or the Shepard Pass trailhead?
To find Symmes Creek...
Go west on Onion Valley Rd out of Independence. When you reach Foothill Rd, turn left. Take that a few miles. When the road gets twisty and curvy you'll see a corral and tie rail on your left. Symmes Creek is about 50 yds beyond, Foothill Rd crosses it. It's a brush choked little creek. Some one needs to turn some beavers loose on it for a few years.

[Joshua]

Are you looking for the creek or the Shepard Pass trailhead?
To find Symmes Creek...
Go west on Onion Valley Rd out of Independence. When you reach Foothill Rd, turn left. Take that a few miles. When the road gets twisty and curvy you'll see a corral and tie rail on your left. Symmes Creek is about 50 yds beyond, Foothill Rd crosses it. It's a brush choked little creek. Some one needs to turn some beavers loose on it for a few years.
Thanks for the info.
Maybe I did find it. I went out there once before. Drove over the creek and thought there is NO WAY DFG is going to plant fish. I walked around and caught a Horny Toad. C&R of course.
I read somewhere that DFG plants at the campground. I never saw a campground.
Just looking for other options as I drive thru the valley.

[chas83]

I'm up here right now and couldn't find it. I spent hours printing out maps and even used my GPS system to try and find it. I tried getting their by using Foothill road close to Independence Creek. Part of the problem is there are like 8 different road all with the same name of Foothill Road! I could see a small path of brush which was probably the creek but the road was blocked by a gate and from the looks of it the DFG would be crazy to plant it. They need to focus their attention on the other creeks like Tuttle, Lone Pine, Cottonwood and Independence and drop Shepherd and Symms from their list.

[Joshua]

I'm up here right now and couldn't find it. I spent hours printing out maps and even used my GPS system to try and find it. I tried getting their by using Foothill road close to Independence Creek. Part of the problem is there are like 8 different road all with the same name of Foothill Road! I could see a small path of brush which was probably the creek but the road was blocked by a gate and from the looks of it the DFG would be crazy to plant it. .
Sounds like we drove down the same road(s). I know I found a small creek that was choked on both sides by trees and brush.
I am not 100% if I found Symms creek or something else.
I have tried this with a car full of people, checking for road signs and reading the same printed instruction I pulled from the DFG planting page. We gave up.
I am willing to try one more time. Hell if, DFG is actually planting this creek and no one can find it. It MUST be FULL of 3 lb rainbows.

[simijab]

if you look on google maps the dirt road on your left right before Independence is Symmes creek rd. (I don't believe it has a sign) follow it all the way to Symmes creek it forks off a couple times but if you follow the main road it takes you right to it

[chas83]

Well for anyone who has found it, is there any fish in it?

[Joshua]

if you look on google maps the dirt road on your left right before Independence is Symmes creek rd. (I don't believe it has a sign) follow it all the way to Symmes creek it forks off a couple times but if you follow the main road it takes you right to it
Your info is different than a couple other state websites I have checked. I am going to trust you and forget the state.
I think I will check it out on April 23rd

[chas83]

I had Google maps in my hand and I followed that road to the left right near Independence, however there was a closed gate on what seemed like the main road. I backtracked and went up a different dirt road but that one didn't lead directly to the creek which I could barely make out from the dried-up and dead looking line of shrubs. The one I took had a name it was Foothill Road so maybe I should have taken one with no name, but I don't remember seeing one. In any case what I could see after getting out and walking there was a very small shrub clogged creek, so I'm interested to know if DFG really does plant it.

[chas83]

I re-read your message and you stated right before Independence not Independence Creek. I went on the road right before Independence Creek. I actually did have maps that showed me how to get there by using the Symme's creek road from 395 but I didn't want to go all the way down the mountain and back up for that ridiculously small creek but I'm still interested to know if they really do plant it.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

Ok you hapless wanderers...here's the gps cords for where they stock...

36deg 44' 14.41" N
118deg 15' 53'53 W

Type it into your Google Earth and away you go. Like I said in a previous post, it's on the right just after you cross Symmes Creek. There's a pull out. The spot is the size of a kiddie wading pool. They drop about a dozen fish in, and the local meat hunters make short work of them. Not worth the effort.
Foothill road is west out of Independence a few miles on Market St, AKA Onion Valley Rd. It's well marked, before you cross Pinyon Creek. Don't take the road off of 395 before Independence, it peters out after a while.

[chas83]

OK I have it saved and will give it a shot next time up there, if for no other reason just to say I've finally found it!
Thanks Steve!

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

Well, don't get too excited. You'll chuckle, then say to yourself "You've got to be fricken kidding me".

[mx4life]

Its really not that hard to find. Go up onion vally road twards the camp grounds out of independence. Foot hill road like said above is right before pinyon creek. If you pass some nice aspens on either side of the road youve went to far. Take that road out and keep right. If you go left 1, you'll find the old foothill road that goes down to 395, 2, youll hit the old burned down campground. Keep left pass the horse stables and it will dead end. Walk over the sand berm and the creek is only about 2 feet wide. And again like said before, they only drop a few fish in there if they trek out there. Foothill will go all the way across the base of the mountains and you can also find it out of the back side of manzanar, and you can bush wack it all the way to mofat ranch and on into the alabama hills. If you need any more spec pm me. I know the area extreamly well(could be the back side of my hand).