Smoky Creek Trail

Smoky Creek Trail here is a long, one-way desert traverse from Homer Wilson Ranch Overlook to Mule Ears Overlook. It follows about 3.4 miles of Dodson Trail to the signed Smoky Creek junction, then 8.3 miles through the wash, and exits on the 3.6-mile Mule Ears Trail. A walked itinerary reports 16.3 miles; the mapped line totals 15.3, so plan for roughly 16 miles and allow about 10 hours. This is for experienced desert hikers, with a driver or shuttle arranged between the two ends.

From Homer Wilson, Dodson rolls up and down for about 3.4 miles before the Smoky Creek junction. The sign marks the turn into the wash. The first stretch is brushy, with sharp desert plants crowding the higher edges; the vegetation thins farther along.

Loose rocks make the creekbed slow and tiring underfoot. Tread and cairns come and go, so route-finding is part of the hike: keep checking a reliable GPS track against a topographic map. One older track line leaves the wash, but that detour was reported to be overgrown; don't follow a stale line blindly. The route climbs to roughly 5,000 feet before dropping toward Mule Ears, so the mostly downhill direction still has real effort.

Expect boulder hops and short scrambles around dry falls. A harder drop has a bypass described at the site, but check your footing before committing. Mule Ears pinnacles appear across the wash and come closest near the junction; this route views them from below rather than climbing to the formations. Near Mule Ear Spring, climb out of the drainage, then follow Mule Ears Trail to the overlook parking area. For a photo, keep some of the pale wash in front of the pinnacles to show the scale of the desert crossing.

There is no water along the route, and the field report found no restrooms at either end. The wash is fully exposed, and rain can make drainage travel dangerous. Bring all water for a long day, sun protection and navigation you know how to use. The park requires a backcountry permit for overnight camping; this is a day route. Pets are not allowed on park trails.

This entry maps the documented Homer Wilson-to-Mule Ears point-to-point hike. A separate southern walk is described from an unmarked River Road access to the Mule Ears junction, but its exact start and continuous route could not be verified; it is not included in this line or distance. Treat that as a different plan and check with the park before attempting it.