<30 minutes up, closer to 650 ft elevation over <1 mile. Beautiful view at top. Great short hike

Trail was dry and in good condition. Surprised to see such beefy stairs on the trail. Easy up and beautiful along the way and it’s over before you know it. Parking area has massive potholes not great for non SUVs if you aren’t careful.

I was looking for a short, easy hike today and Garfield Ledges fit the bill.  Many large potholes at the tail end of the drive to the trailhead but it's short so just take your time.  The rest of the long Middle Fork Road is of course perfectly smooth - and gorgeous!  We saw a few other people descending the trail on our climb to the ledges but had the trail to ourselves the rest of the time.  Enjoyed a variety of ripe berries near the bottom of the trail and appreciated the shade on a warm, sunny day.  No wildflowers worth mentioning but we spotted a small garter snake creeping along on the side of the trail! The views of the Middle Fork valley and Stegosaurus Butte from the ledge are a nice payoff for relatively little effort!

2.5 miles, 650 feet elevation gain, 1.5 hours (including a short walk down to the river after the hike)

The road leading to the trailhead is paved until the last .2 miles. In that .2 miles there are some extremely large, nearly unavoidable pot holes. My Crosstrek had no issues going through them slowly but lower clearance cars should be careful. Don’t rush this part of the drive because the trailhead is in sight!

I arrived a little after 3 PM and about a quarter of the parking lot was filled. The trailhead bathrooms were on the cleaner side. The trail is in amazing condition. No major or minor blockages. The steepest section (about .5 miles in) have nicely-made steps. I did note that the my tracking of elevation gain was significantly short of the WTA estimate. Not a huge deal unless your training for elevation. The ledges give a great views of the expansive valley and surrounding area.

Overall, it’s a nice, well-maintained short trail with good views at the top!

Short, uphill trail, shaded most of the way