Walking Trail Trip Reports

“Great views of Red Cinder Cone. ”

“Great little hike. Signage as noted by others is poor. We started at the lower parking area for Lower Maxwell Falls. The little yellow sign about a half mile in had no verbiage. The other two trails were as much a mystery as others said. Go straight as the arrow suggests. The little falls sign will elude you if your not watching. It’s on the right but you turn off left. Short little offshoot but a nice diversion. From there the rest is pleasant, until you finish the cliff loop and logically turn left to follow the river. NO SINGNAGE. A right (correct direction) arrow is etched in a tree if you look hard. A Nice trail to private property lures hikers left only to end up at do not enter signs. 😳 once you go slightly up and right on the correct trail you cross a familiar bridge, go about a mile and there you are, at the car. Pleasant just a directional challenge. You can’t really go very wrong as it’ll all get you there, somehow.”

“Good single track. It’s a 6 mile loop and my phone showed 550 feet of elevation gain. Fun running. Nothing too technical. Probably a blue square for mountain biking. Bikers go one way and hikers / runners go the other which is a great idea.”

“Been here on my bike a few times and always enjoyed the ride and exploring the old buildings, etc. Came today to walk the loop. I was kind of disappointed. Of course its summer's end and everything is dusty. That was expected. Facilities are lacking; no sinks at restrooms to wash-up. Only noticed one sign to educate the guests about flora/fauna. Only one three-person bench to rest on the entire 2.5 mile loop. Normally not a problem for most but how about kids and seniors who need to stop? Sit in the dirt if you please! The views from the cliffs are quite lovely but not enough to get me back. ”

“Nice shaded hike. Lots of spurs. Felt like we were on the right trail.”

“Easy loop connecting to the Betasso Canyon Loop on one side and the Four Mile Link on the other”

“Well maintained. Easy access from Four Mile Canyon. Especially good on Wednesday and Saturday when bikes are not allowed”

“This trail was kind of hard to find, we ended up walking up a dirt road for 2 miles near the free parking thinking the trail head was up above. Reason I thought this was because of a description I read. It was a beautiful walk but considering the 2 miles spent there we couldn’t finish the actual trail. Which can be found through the bare wood to the left of the information sigh in the free parking area. Or the trail head can be found near the boat launch area. Despite the confusion the over all hike was pretty simple and absolutely beautiful in a dark sort of creepy way. I can’t wait to get the chance to return and finish the whole trail.”

“Foley Ridge was part of the Substitute burn... Eight percent of the trail burn area.”

“Enjoy a hike up the Canyon of the North Fork Tuolumne River. There’s outstanding mountain & river scenery. Wildflowers abound in the spring. The trail follows a narrow gauge lumber railroad grade. Cross-ties & steel rails remain along the right-of-way. The interesting history of the railroad is highlighted in plaques along the trail. Nature & history combine to create a terrific day-hike. Visit hikingthegoldenstate.com for additional details.”

“Great views.”

“Hiked this trail during the Full Moon ranger led hike.Beautiful scenery during the sunset and during the full moon.”

“I always say I’m never doing this hike again, I’ve done it over 30 times and when up in the North Fork someone always wants to go hike it. This is the best hike and the view is amazing! So glad I decided to hike it “one more time” and I’m sure I’ll hike it another 30 times lol. But the crowds are bad during the day so we went at 6:00pm and we were able to get front row parking and not as many people on the trail, and not as many mosquitoes.”

“Honestly, you never know what you're going to run into within GG Park. It's awesome! You'll see bike riders, fish in the ponds, boat riding in the lake, there's even buffalo grazing in there. So easy to feel like you escaped the city, within the city.”

“We entered this trail from Joyce Trail. It was wonderful to hike with kids as it was mostly flat (once you got over the really steep start). Definitely want to hike this again.”

“From Base at Grand Lake parking lot it was 4.9 miles each way. Spectacular view from top.”

“The best 3/10 of a mile hike anywhere. A must see if your in Grand Lake”

“A wonderful trail through forests of firs, ferns, flowers, and deep-green fauna. It was cloudy at the summit of Mary’s Peak so I couldn’t see the Cascades. About 4:40 round trip”

“Nice quick hike when you’re short on time.”

“We took ATVs out on Spruce Em Up Jack. Lots of fun!!!”

“This trail is so beautiful and well-maintained. Most of it is a wide, manmade pathway consisting of flat limestone or slate and concrete. The uphills alongside each waterfall are all stairways, also well-maintained. The waterfalls are breathtaking, cascading over beautiful shale ledges at different angles. I hiked it in July, and I imagine it's even more beautiful in the fall. The dogs and I walked to the trailhead from the house, and instead of hiking back on the trail I opted to walk across the Cornell campus and then down the hill to University Avenue. The trail is dog-friendly, but, as with all NY state parks, there are no trash bins provided, and you must pack out your dog's waste, so come prepared. When you complete hiking up the main leg of the trail, you emerge onto the Cornell campus on the edge of town, and Collegetown Bagels offers a convenient spot for lunch. The path continues to the south of the trolley bridge with a gentler grade on a crushed gravel path. Less dramatic scenery here, but a nice opportunity to catch your breath after all the stairways up, up, up.”

“Great hike, pretty Falls, and nice place to swim when you get to the falls.”

“Close to a waterfall and trails that run alongside the river. Very nice.”

“Nice relaxing walk.”

“Is this considered hiking? Lol”

“This is yet another inaccurate description on this app. According to Asheville, NC’s website, this trail gains over 6k in elevation. I believe it. My husband and I did this trail, and it took all day to go out and back. He believes it’s our hardest trail so far. I’m on the fence. Anyway, here are the stats according to the website: : This long, strenuous hiking trail leads from the Black Mountain Campground to the summit. Most of the trail is on USFS property. Climbs 3,600 ft. in 5.5 miles.”

“I’m not sure if this is supposed to be one of the the Tallulah Gorge Rim Trails, or if this is supposed to be the entire loop, but it is very inaccurate. There are so many steps/stairs, and if you want to go down to the gorge floor to see hurricane falls, you add about 1,000 more. I wish this app would update to include all trails or accurate names for the trails.”

“This a very interesting place to visit. Many great petroglyphs and very good views of the Sacramento Mountains to the East.”

“Beautiful trail. A little muddy but very peaceful.”

“Beautiful trail leads you down to the lake.”

“Beautiful east-west trail with lots of hills.”

“The trail is flat, gravel and in good condition. The street crossings all have lights which makes it nice Downside of the trail is that it's not all that scenic, running behind a lot of warehouses. On the south end, you do get a view of the water. It's a nice afternoon ride.”

“This is an intense hike. The first mile alternates flat meadows with moderate inclines. The second mile consists of moderate incline with very uneven terrain and narrow trail. The third mile consists of -very- steep inclines (scrambles) and switchbacks. You are essentially hiking straight up for three miles. I thought the hike to the lake was bad; the way back is almost worse. You have to watch every single step as a slick root or wet rock could land you flat on your back, or worse, down the side of the mountain. Trekking poles are highly recommended, pay attention to every step every time! The lake is very serene and a great place for peace and relaxation. There weren’t too many great views due to thick fog.”

“Very clean and well marked. Love the book library at the trailhead.”

“1st mile is a steady incline to get up to the lake basin but it’s pretty mellow - long and not too steep switchbacks to get up to plateau. Lakes are beautiful and worth it! Go early to beat the crowds on weekends and holidays.”

“We enjoy this trail when we don’t have much time. We park in the Pike Creek church lot on Polly Drummond Road. Be prepared to share the trail with mountain bikers.”

“Here again not much of a trail, more a road for WD. ”

“Not much of a trail. Sandy and gravely climb with good views of the Dona Ana Mountains.”

“Not much of a trail, more a sandy and gravely road . The views of the Dona Ana mountains are nice though.”

“July 4th, 2019”

“Great first hike!!”

“July 4th, 20019 Started out on the Red trail taking us around Miniwaska Lake and diverted up onto Blue trail headed up Lake Awosting. The overlooks were breathtaking. Beautiful hike”

“The re are of a healthy climb is a well thought out trail down on bike. Once on top ride the Helena Ridge for sweeping views and long straightaways. I chose to go down Emmitt’s Trail and it was challenging and fun.”

“The Norris Geyser Basin is the most geologically active area in the park, and the features do change from visit to visit. In fact, the trails themselves are altered due to the changes in thermal activity. Visiting in the early morning hours, you may be treated with howls from the Norris Wolf Pack, which is very eerie in the early morning chill. This particular visit to the area was in late September, and the wet snow and cold meant I had the whole trail to myself (thank you Goretex), and it only enhanced the hissing steam vents, burping mudpots, and belching geysers. Several routes can be chosen, and it's probably about three miles total on the trails.”

“Another easy walk to a beautiful old historic cabin in the woods.”

“Easy walk to a nice old historic cabin.”

“One of the most beautiful waterfalls in the park. The trail is a little long but well worth the hike.”

“We thoroughly enjoyed this trail. The views were spectacular!”

“This an easy trail through a nice wooded area. It had rain the night before and the trail was rather muddy in some places. The rock is a place for kids to climb upon.”

“Rough road but very good views of Broad Canyon and Tonuco Mountain”

“Great historic site with views of the stage coach ruins”

“This hike did have muddy parts, but overall it was a nice trail. The falls are beautiful. The hike isn’t strenuous, but you still need to pack enough water. You’re gonna break a sweat.”

“This trail is nice. There are nice bridges and rest spots on the trail.”

“Wonderful!”

“Love this trail! Good for families as well as a nice challenge for a quick day hike! Used to do this with the kids when they were little, now with my daughter’s dog and my pup! Love it!”

“Park at the Flume Visitor Center. The trail from there under the highway then it gets moderate. Not too long, about 1.5 miles to a great lookout/rocky cliff. Excellent views of foliage in the Fall. ”

“The trailhead is complicated to find only because Forest Service Road 739 is not well marked. At the T intersection there is a small, brown hiking sign indicating you are on the right path. Good trail tread climbing over 2500 feet in 3.5 miles. A spring right off the trail for watering the pooch. Amazing views of the Bitterroot Valley and Kootenai Creek.”

“I did this hike on 6/27/19 and although it is a pretty good trail with views and a nice final destination I gave it only 3 stars because it was really crowded. I saw at least 100 people on the trail some of them with their phones playing music at full volume. The trail is at the Wild Basin area of RMNP which is not supposed to be crowded but today it was! The hike and the trail are nice. There are lots of waterfalls and creeks to see and the final destination, the lake, is also scenic. There are nice views of the mountains, especially Long and Meeker peaks. The trail itself is well marked and used and it is a combination of soft surface and rocky terrain without steep climbs or descents. The lake had a few nice places to sit and rest and enjoy the view, which I planned to do, but it soon filled up with people and I left after a short 30 min lunch stop. I clocked it at 10.2 miles with an elevation gain and loss of 1686 and 1601 ft, starting at 8531 feet. It took me 5 hours and 25 min including the 30 min lunch break.”

“Beautiful place ”

“I did a overnight backpacking trip to Mt Sterling. It was a amazing experience but a steep hike. Overall mileage was about 18 miles from the trial head. Staring on the Big Creek trial you meet up with Swallow Fork trail go left on Swallow Fork and continue to Mt Sterling Ridge trail. That will take you to the summit of Mt Sterling, and campsite 38. You can’t miss it there is a large fire tower next to the trail. I stayed at camp 38 and it was very nice lots of space for hammocks and tents. Bear lines are provided for your food bags. To come back down continue on Mt Sterling Ridge to Baxter Creek trail stay on that till you get to the end. There is a lot of overgrowth and this is a steep up hill and a steep down hill. Biggest suggestion is bring plenty of water and fill up we’re you can lots of people I met ran out before reacting the summit. Overall great hike I loved it, happy trails!”

“This was a good trail for a walk. It has a nice flat area that had great views. I particularly enjoyed how it would wind in and out of the woods. This made it nice and scenic.”

“This was a nice trail to walk. There was a nice view of the river and it had good shaded areas for those that don’t do so well with the sun like myself. The nature was beautiful and there was a nice view. I enjoyed myself.”

“This national monument has several very good mission ruins and great trails that go through the mission grounds. ”

“It’s a great place we had so much fun.. we did half the trail..”

“I hope everyone will consider adding Hickory Creek and Hickory Barrens to their Plank Trail route. The forest preserves are beautiful with majestic oaks, hickory trees and maples. Nice bridges cross hickory creek three times. The hills and curves add interest to an otherwise straight rail trail with little elevation change. So, I will add details to help the reader choose a route. A good starting point would be Hickory Creek Forest Preserve which is accessed on LaPorte Rd between LaGrange and Wolf. This gives you 1.7 miles ending at Rt. 30 (Lincoln Hwy.) I like to continue west behind a group of condos and then proceed 1.2 miles along a path that parallels Rt. 30. You will go under the Hickory Junction overpass and turn right into Hickory Barrens. This part of the route is 3.1 miles and is lovely passing a beautiful pond where you can hear frogs and perhaps see a Blue Heron. At the end of the trail there is a pavilion, water and pit toilets. There is a schoolhouse museum and you are across the street from Lincoln Way Central High School. You could now access the Plank Trail by traveling south along School House Rd for 0.9 miles. Again, there is a sidewalk (narrow, about 3 feet) to avoid traffic. Plank Trail continues southwest for an additional 7.3 miles to Washington Street access in Joliet. Although this is the end of the Plank trail, you could take a couple of side roads for 1.3 miles access the start of Wauponsee glacial trail Under I-80 at Rowell Rd. The first few miles are paved and somewhat shaded. I only continued 2 miles before turning around. (This adds 22 miles to my usual 13.5 mile route) Since I love the forest preserve trails my normal route is not to access the Plank Trail at Schoolhouse but return through Hickory Barrens and cross Lincoln Hwy via the overpass referred to earlier. If you do this, your odometer will read 9.1 miles. At the junction of the Plank Trail you can head to Joliet (west and mostly shaded) or go east through the town of Frankfort and many miles further. (Note, if you are tired and you turned around at the pavilion by Schoolhouse Road you can take a cut off at the 7.9 mile mark to Laporte street by turning left at a cul-de-sac via a small neighborhood and return back to your car in Hickory Creek. There is a sidewalk on LaPorte that can be biked to avoid the street.) My usual route takes the Plank trail east to Wolf road where I turn left and head back to cross route 30 (be careful crossing the 6 lanes of traffic with the light on the East side of Wolf) Note: Panera and Chipotle are in the shopping center if you need some food. I retrace my route behind the condos and reenter the Hickory Creek Forest Preserve for a 13.5 mile trip.”

“Beautiful trail along the beach and up onto the bluffs above.”

“There was 3 adults and 1 child. My son is two years old. We did great and walked half way up the trail until the rocks and roots were to much for him. It rained the day before so the trail was damp.”

“Beautiful hike with great views of Lake Dillon and the surrounding mountain peaks. Steady ascent, (not steep), all the way in. Meadow Creek was fully flowing; the sound and view of the creek was beautiful. At one point you cross the creek on a wide, stable log. There were a lot of fallen trees across the path which you had to climb under or over and a few places were pretty muddy. Recommend closed toe, waterproof shoes. Lots of mosquitoes, so cover up or use bug spray. I had to stop at the nearby Safeway after our hike to purchase Benadryl spray to relieve the itching from all my bug bites. (Mosquitoes love me), but the hike was worth it.”

“The description of this hike (done on 6/21/19) is a combination of the Rock Creek trail and the Gore Range trail to Boulder Lake. Reaching the right trailhead can be confusing and can add unnecessary mileage to the hike. As you travel on the nice (but unpaved part) of County Road 1350 you get to what looks like the parking spot to the trailhead but you can actually continue for another 1.5 miles or so on a rougher but passable dirt road to reach the actual Rock Creek trailhead. The trail starts on an even rougher road and then it reaches an intersection with the Gore Range trail. At this point, you turn right (north, north/west) on the Gore Range trail and follow that to take a left (west) on the intersection with the Boulder Creek trail to Boulder Lake. I uploaded a GPX file for the hike. Most the hike is on the Gore Range trail, a well used, wooded and wet trail. It also had a lot of trees down on the trail and although I went over or under them it got annoying after a while. The destination is really nice but it was a little windy and threatening to storm on the day I was there so I did not linger much. I clocked the length at 5.7 miles with an up and down elevation change of 1208 and 1164 ft, respectively starting at 9455 ft. It took me about 3 h and 30 min with only a 15 min break at the lake.”

“I did this trail on 6/24/19. The trail starts at the Echo Lake Campground on the Mt. Evans Road and in spite of what the above description says, I clocked the total distance to and from Upper Chicago Lake at 10.6 miles. This trail has all kinds of terrain, it starts rocky and on a ledge, it follows a rough road for about 1 mile and then it alternates between soft and rocky terrain. It has its ups and downs but nothing too steep until you go from the lower to the upper lake. At that point, there was also a short snow field to cross and I used my microspikes. The trail was also very muddy and wet but enjoyable nevertheless. The two lakes are gorgeous but it was very windy at the upper lake. You can continue from there to Summit lake if you want but I did not. The trail starts at 10640 ft; the uphill elevation gain and loss are 2055 and 2093 ft, respectively. One word of caution, the trail starts by going downhill and that means that when you come back you have to go uphill about 300 ft. The trail starts near Echo Lodge and there is a water reservoir for Idaho Springs about 2 miles from the trailhead and on my way back I saw many people walking to that reservoir.”

“Alice Creek Trailhead- Following in the footsteps of Meriwether Lewis as he and his party crossed Lewis and Clark Pass and recognized for the first time the rest of the journey home was downhill. Also the original Road to the Buffalo used for millennia by hunting parties. The views are vast made more open by the 2017 Alice Creek Fire. The Continental Divide Trail hovers at the top. Abundant wildflowers and wildlife. Look for wolves, moose, elk, grizzly bear, and foxes.”

“This road is badly washed out and just barely passable with a high clearance 4WD vehicle”

“FR 7305 is washed out and barely passable with a high clearance 4WD vehicle”

“Magnificent 130 mile trail from Bristol Pa north to Scranton. Don’t miss, a beauty! 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻‍♀️”

“Fairly easy ride. It has been extended by 2 miles. Historic sites along the way, including railway structures from early 1900’s, restored caboose, cement kilns from 1900 and of course the Troxell Steckel house from 1756. Also two public swimming pools to cool off!”

“Easy trail connecting the village with the other trails i the area. Nothing special”

“Pretty trail with good instructional signs for people wanting to learn about nature. Nice wildflowers.”

“Hickory Nut Falls Trail is part of the Chimney Rock State Park. We always took visitors to the park (back then it was privately owned). We enjoyed walking this trail. It was a good choice for family walks. It’s just under a mile long (.8 miles) It begins at the parking lot and is fairly moderate. The trail leads to the bottom of the waterfall. When you reach the last part of the trail it ascends about 400 ft and it can be strenuous for some people. The climb has its reward though - the 404 ft waterfall that is awe-inspiring and powerful, especially after a rainfall. There's really good energy in this area along the Rocky Broad River. ”

“Renting bikes and taking the Santa Monica Beach bike path is a fantastic thing to do if you're vacationing in L.A. It's fun to do all year round since the weather is always nice. You'll get some fantastic views of the ocean and storefronts along the beach as you ride along. ”

“Short trail connection the 2 sections of the Lower Sunset Trail”

“This is a very difficult trail. Lots of Climbing up the rocky mountain side. Excellent views of the Franklin Mountains and West El Paso.”

“There’s no experience to describe. There isn’t a trail here. Just a clearing smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood.”

“This a short trail connecting the Lower Sunset trail to the Upper Sunset Trail. Nice views of the Franklin Mountains.”

“This trail follows the foothills of the Organ Mountains. It is fairly level with some arroyos to cross. Great views of the Organ Mountains and a great place to see barrel cactus .”

“Beautiful trail leading to a series of great waterfall. One of the great places in Caldwell county.”

“Very pleasant hike through some of the nicest wilderness in Western North Carolina. Greenland creek is really beautiful.”

“This is a nice cool trail along the river with ample shade from the tree canopy.”

“It is a fairly easy trail to an overlook with very good views of the Big Bradley falls.”

“The Williams Lake area is just so beautiful. We were there early in the morning, and it was so peaceful. If you are hiking to the summit of Wheeler Peak, Williams Lake is well worth the short diversion before ascending Wheeler. The road to the trailhead is a little confusing in places. It travels through a residential area, and there's a lot of construction. Drive through the Taos Ski Village parking area to a road on the far end (Twining Road, not marked as I recall). Follow it just past a small lake, and turn left on Zap's Road. Take a right at the next T intersection. A parking lot for the trailhead is not far from there.”

“This a great not too difficult of a hike with some great views of the Blue Ridge mountains. Especially beautiful when the rhododendrons are in bloom around the month of June.”

“Beautiful trail to hike or horseback ride through within Yellowstone National Park. Good, long trail for those who want to spend several hours hiking and enjoying gorgeous scenery. ”

“The Bright Angel Point Trail is an easy paved path to a thrilling overlook of the Grand Canyon. You will share it with lots of tourists.”

“Hard trail. Steep at time and rocky in areas. Was able to complete in about 3 hours. Nice view from the top. ”

“I did this trail with other members of the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) on June 6, 2019. No spikes or snowshoes were needed. The trail starts as a rather wide, easy and soft trail and it opens into a really nice meadow as it quickly heads away from the highway. Instead of following the trail to the falls as described in the guide books, however, we left the trail at the beaver ponds (less than 1 mile from the start) and headed through the woods in a westerly direction towards Sentinel Point (shown in one of the pictures). At the beginning of the hike through the woods there is a semblance of a trail but that faint trail disappears quickly and you are on your own. Do not attempt this without a GPS or a good map and compass because is easy to get lost (I added a GPS recording here of our hike if you want to use it). The hike also took us through one or two boulder fields where we had to scramble. As we reached Sentinel Point we got above the tree line to alpine tundra and the last approach to the top also required some rather interesting scrambling. The hike is well worthed but not necessarily easy because of the scrambling. If you like that and some route finding this is a good hike to do though. We saw two other hikers at the top of Sentinel Point but we didn't see any additional people on the way down. The total mileage was 7.2 miles and it took us 6 and 1/2 hours including a 30 min lunch break and several rest stops. The trail starts at 9641 ft and the top of Sentinel Point is 12491 ft to give a total elevation gain of 2778 ft.”

“Great hike with kids and small dogs. Hwy 2 traffic can be terrible in the evening timings.”

“Do NOT do this trail as a loop! Lost pond trail is, well, lost. Also, a note of caution: all of the trails are marked with blue blazes and markers (some of which have different random nature symbols). The lost pond trail is listed on the pamphlet as only being .75 miles, but I would be incredibly surprised if it is actually that short -- although we spent quite a lot of time going around things, and trying to figure out where the trail continued, so there's a chance... For most of this trail, the trail itself doesn't really seem to exist and you have to wade through ferns. There are frequent enough blazes to not get lost, but only barely. Sometimes, the trail marking would be on a downed tree. It was extremely muddy in spots, and I almost lost a shoe. Finally, we reached a small pond where the trail seemed to disappear entirely. As we looked closer, we noticed a marker on a downed tree that was clearly beaver work. We eventually found the trail again by taking a hard left at that marker. When we finally made it to the *marked* Blackburnian loop, the trail became more "trail-like", although still poorly maintained. From there, the trail spits out under an electric tower, where we took a left. We assumed this to be Old Florida Road. Road is pretty euphemistic. We walked along this road until we found the Busby trail again on the right. When we told the park ranger at the campground that we hiked on Lost Pond Trail, she seemed surprised. She told us that the beavers kept moving the pond, and they had to keep moving the trail to keep it both going to the pond and not through the pond, which is why the trail is called "Lost Pond". However, they've stopped maintaining it, because the beavers were winning the fight..”

“Adjacent to the North Beach trail is the beach. So beautiful. No bugs. If you go in the spring or fall there are no people. You get the beach to yourself:)”

“I went here often when I lived in LA. This is a really lovely, quiet spot where you can enjoy a pleasant hike through some shady areas, as well as enjoy the lake and the koi pond. The hiking trail isn't very long so this is a perfect place for beginners or people just getting into shape for a hike, or for a picnic and relaxing with a book by the lake. Miss this place!”

“Took my dogs here often when I lived in the SF Valley. This is a nice trail that's well maintained and isn't difficult at all so it's good for beginners and for dogs. Some sections of it are paved too. You'll get some great views of the city. It's a fairly popular trail so you'll always see people on it when you go and can be more active during the weekends.”

“Super pretty just very rockie the hole trail 🙂”