Originally Posted by
SipseyFreak
I've hiked in the Sipsey over 50 times in over 15 years, and I've always found the trails easy to follow. The PDF copy of the map is the most accurate, I think. You didn't say whether you started from the north or the south on 200. If you started from the south paved parking area ($3 parking fee), there is a sign showing 209 crosses Borden Creek about half a mile from the parking area. That would be the east end of 209 which parallels the Sipsey River until it crosses south through the Sipsey and goes up to the intersection with 201. If you started from the Bunyan Hill Road bridge at the north end (as HooKooDooKu said, above) you had a choice of hiking on the official trail on the east side or the unofficial trail on the west side. When I was there in April, there was a good sign marking the 209 crossing of the Sipsey.
May I suggest that you go to the west trailhead of 206 and hike west to east on that trail until intersects with 209 just past Ship Rock/Eye of the Needle. There is a little section that is private land, so the maps show the trail cross Thompson Creek and recrossing to get back to the trail; but most folks just hike through the private land and go around the end of Ship Rock to get to some campsites near some riffles in the Sipsey which provide good white noise for sleeping.
An alternate plan might be to come up 201 or 202 to get to the Sipsey. If you go up 224 (Bunyan Hill Road) to the top of the ridge, there is scant water there. You will eventually intersect with 204 and 208 and 253 along the way, but, again, there isn't much water up there along the north ridges.
Reminder: this is a Wilderness Area ... some of us like it without blazes because if you keep oriented with Thompson Creek, Sipsey River, and Borden Creek (and their tributaries) you can wander all over the area and never be lost. It is a wonderful area and there are at least 15-20 waterfalls (depending on the time of year).