Wallace Creek

About Wallace Creek

Here you are standing on the San Andreas Fault. At this location it runs northwest to southeast a the base of the hills. At one time Wallace Creek drained straight across the fault, but movement by the San Andreas Fault has offset its drainage course, with the downstream segment about 430 feet northwest of the upsteam segement. This is one of the best examples of stream offset across a fault in the world. An interpretive trail is available to learn more about this portion of the San Andreas Fault.

How to Get There

Once on Carrizo Plain National Monument, continue on Soda Lake Road to Simmler Road. Turn on Simmler Road. Take Simmler Road to Elkhorn Road and turn right. Continue on Elkhorn Road for about 1 mile. Parking lot for Wallace Creek will be on your left. **NOTE** Simmler Road is impassable in wet weather.

Plan Your Visit to Wallace Creek

Heading to Wallace Creek? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)