We are fortunate to be able to access this loop from our back yard.  The misty weather today was ideal for a forest walk.  We saw some interesting red mushrooms that I don't recall seeing before.

There was a fair amount of mud on the Coal Creek trail. There was also a short section of the Primrose trail that is eroding into the river. The trail will need to be rerouted over a small hill.

6.5 mi, 1000 ft

11dec2023 MON ~07:30 i arrived at the Coal Creek Natural Area (off-Coal Creek Pkwy SE) parking. i was the only one there. Cloudy, high 40s_F .. i went on a CW-Loop: (P) > Coal Creek Tr > Primrose Tr > Coal Creek Tr > Cinder Mine Tr > Golf Course Tr > Newcastle Commons Dr > Coal Creek Pkwy SE > (P) / Distance ~5.2 mi, Time ~2 hr
And when i got back to the Parking, i noticed there's an additional vehicle.

Thanks to DRDana recent report, i was well prepared for the walk .. i had on my Rubber Boots and Trekking Poles 😗 to easily traverse on the (occasional) muddy and/or wet spots..

Please note:
- the Honey Buckets at Cinder Mine Trailhead were LOCKED 😅
- there's "Power Line ON Trail" (the ~100 ft of Golf Course Trail across the YMCA - which i avoided)

Didn't see anyone on-the-Trails. Saw a few small birds. And enjoyed the sound of the strong running creek. It was a nice sweet solitude walk

Btw, the sidewalks along Newcastle Commons Dr and Coal Creek Pkwy SE were in good condition - to safely walk beside the moderate traffic flow.

Happy Trails Everyone 😄

I went from the Coal Creek Parkway trailhead to Red Town, via the Primrose Trail that stays closer to the creek, then crossed over into Cougar Mountain Regional Park to go on to Coal Creek Falls. About 4 miles and 1100 feet of climb, one-way. The rains of the past week have certainly perked up the creek and all the waterfalls! The trails are very soggy, but not difficult to hike. There are just a few places that require some careful footing.

There is one spot on the Primrose Trail, a couple of hundred yards east of where it branches off, where the trail is right on the bank of the creek. At that point it is only about a foot above today's water level, and there is a large crack in the middle of the trail that suggests it is getting ready to collapse into the creek. If that happens, it will still be passable but require special care.

Also on the Primrose Trail, there's a little waterfall (whose name, if it has one, I don't know, but see the photo), and right now the outflow from that waterfall has taken over maybe 20 feet of trail. But the water is only a few inches deep, and I was able to mostly step around the edge of it without sinking into mud.

Once crossing over into CMRP, there are also a few stretches of running water on the trail, but all are easy to walk around or are trivially shallow.

All in all, it's well worth the walk as long as you have decent shoes or boots, and be prepared for some slippery spots.

I started from the Parkway trail head at about noon, and went all the way to Red Town, via Primrose Trail. (I returned via a combination of streets and city trails.) The low winter sun peeking over the surrounding hills make it especially beautiful. There is just enough water flowing to make North Fork Falls pretty, but small.

The trail is in good condition considering the recent weather: on the heavily traveled section near the Parkway, the leaves have been completely cleared, and the only slight impediment is some squishy muddy sections. Farther up the trail, there are various stretches that are permanently shaded and still frosty or frozen, but traction is no problem because of the underlying rough trail surfaces. This is a contrast to some suburban streets I walked on to and from the hike, where the patchy frost was treacherous.

I went in November where it still had lots of wet leaves on the trail. The trail was a bit muddy too making it slippery at some points. The route had ups and down which added a bit of workout. There is a nice waterfall not that big but gave a good place to rest and watch. There were nice bridges in between too giving good watch points from certain points.

Overall it was a nice hike with a bit of workout with a sunny weather too. Just make sure to wear shoes which you are okay with getting dirty.