Wolf Creek Trail — Attraction in Grass Valley

I cannot figure out why this trail has almost 5 stars - the only redeeming quality is its proximity to the Northstar mining museum and the few picnic tables at the very beginning. As you continue down the trail - after only about an eighth of a mile mind you - you’ll be hit with the pungent smell of sewage and feces that just gets worse and worse and worse as you continue. Because wolf creek flows into a sewage treatment plant that is right next to this so called “trail.” I let my dog drink out of the creek toward the beginning and I regret it - apparently the creek has been flagged for high level of bacteria from feces. Based on all the positive reviews it got, I didn’t even think twice about letting him have a slurp. But take this as your warning - don’t let kids or pets play in that water! My dog threw up a minute after drinking from it. There need to be way more signs and warnings about 1) the sewage treatment plant that is maybe half a mile down the trail and 2) the hazardous...

Great, easy paved walk with kids or dogs, always friendly fellow walkers, and really beautiful-quite a “lemons to lemonade” outcome for a former giant sinkhole! I LOVE mushroom hunting here (just kidding, there’s no mushrooms here, you might as well look someplace else! Nope, nothing to see!) and also great for bird watching. Mostly shaded and runs along the creek-yes you have to walk past the sewage plant but it seriously smells bad for less than two minutes so…unless you’re super sensitive or can’t up your pace, it’s not worth removing a star for...

Overall, a nice trail except for the stench from the sewage treatment plant in areas. The paved trail is nice but it gets very hot in the summer, so I can't walk the dogs on it unless I'm there first thing in the morning (which is very rare). There's shade, but not enough in the hottest months. I love the creek and the quietness of it. There's rarely a ton of people on it, so it's not an overly crowded trail. The parking lot could definitely use a few shade trees added in. It's very hot getting in your car...