What? No review? I’ve been remiss. When you first arrive to the parking lot you have two options– to the left is the main trailhead and to the right is an unmaintained extension to the main trail that requires a little bit of bushwhacking and eventually joins the main trail. If you opt to take the right trail it has several little forks on it that meander through either forest if you hug to your left or fireweed if you bear right closer to the river branch. I went this route because my purpose was berry picking. The brush was quite high, and I did see clear evidence of recent bear activity. As such I would recommend being prepared on the trail to defend one’s self– as with all trails! The extension adds less than a half mile to your hike and is worth it if you are an off the beaten path kind of person The extension rejoins the main trail at the little bridge that crosses the river fork. The next section of the trail is really boring. Is very wide, hard packed and suitable for small children dogs strollers etc, but its not very scenic. I observed a lot of families with small children enjoying this portion of the trail. There’s not much to look at on this portion of the trail as you are pinned in by a forest that looks to be pretty much a monoculture. Kind of boring. Things get interesting again once the trail reaches the river and at that point there’s a large informal viewing area where people hang out and take pictures and enjoy the view of the river. Most people stop here and circle back around. If you stuck to the main trail of the duration your round trip journey will be approximately one mile. However if you choose to continue on beyond this point it is well worth it. Beyond this point a stroller would be difficult however, as this portion of the trail is not maintained. This is a very easy section of hike for people of all ages, and there’s no elevation gain. The views are phenomenal and of course it’s fun to skip rocks and play along the banks of the river.
