The mountains still looked unpleasant, so visited this locals park for the first time in a very long time, hoping to burn off some xmas fat.

Bridal trails is a mid-sized park with wide graded trails suitable for all.  It doesn't really have any focal points ( unless you a horsey person ), but the forest is really nice and would be great for running. 

There are 3 clearly marked loop trails, but also a myriad of smaller unmarked ones to keep you busy.

Conditions:

• Sandy trails in great condition, even after ice and rain 
• Horse Poop: Minimal today
• People: ~15, horses: 2, dogs: 4
• Parking: No horse trailers today, but decent number of cars
• Notice board says part of the Coyote loop is closed on weekdays

Happy holidays everyone!

SAT 17dec2022 ~08:10, ~low 30s_F, overcast, i was the ~4th to arrive at the Bridle Trails S.P. Trailhead parking. Did a ramble CW-Loop: (P) > (1) > (2) > (3) > (P) .. ~4.9 mi ~1:47 hr. Got back to the parking at ~10:00, and noticed there were ~15 vehicles.

During my ~2 hrs, only encountered a total of 4x Trail-runners. 2x Walkers and their 2 dogs - everyone was friendly. Many sections of the "boot-path" around the Park Perimeter were covered by fallen leaves. The "official" Trails (Raven Tr, Coyote Tr seemed well-maintained. Btw, there's a Detour (MON - FRI 07:00 - 15:30) for a section of Coyote Trail (picture: <C> Construction).

Learnt something this morning .. about "Dog Poop -vs- Horse Poop" 😂
.. As for my "apprehensions of Bears", perhaps ".. its all in the Perspective" (??) 😂

Happy Trails Everyone 😀

We had a beautiful, urban winter walk in Bridle Trails SP today!  The first season’s snow was falling and a light dusting covered everything. Our route made a 5 mile figure 8 loop following the Raven Loop then the Coyote loop. No horses were on the trails today but there were numerous road apples hidden under the snow. A few neighborhood folks were out walking dogs but that was it for trail traffic. Another fantastic day to be out in nature with friends.

We arrived at the TH at 9:30 and had no trouble finding parking in this large, dirt lot, which also serves as parking for drivers with horse trailers.

We hiked two of the three loop trails:  Cougar and Trillium.   Both trails are in great shape and meander through peaceful woods.  While there aren't any major viewpoint destinations on the trails, they offer a wonderful opportunity to spend time in serene woods in a close-in, easy to access location.  

We encountered many horses on the trails today, about 10 - 12, which is more than we usually see.  It's always a treat to have horses pass us on the trails.  Such magnificent animals.

Hiking the two trails, we logged 6.5 miles and 370' elevation gain.

We'll be back!

There is still some Autumn color here.  

This is a shared use trail with horses, so be careful of what they leave behind.

There are restrooms along the trail, not too far from the trailhead.