Started with the Middle Fork Trail out to the Dutch Miller Gap Trailhead, then back to the Middle Fork and up Stegosaurus Butte. Still felt good, so took the Connector Trail up and did Garfield Ledges. Middle Fork road and trailhead are in great condition.

TL;DR: Great hikes, Middle Fork is wet, Stegosaurues Butte is steep, Garfield Ledges are nice and wide and even.

Middle Fork: First car in the parking lot at 7:45. Some very nice fog this morning covered the valley, visibility was pretty low. Set out hoping to be able to make it to Dutch Miller Gap TH. Ended up with everything one could want from a forest walk. Rolling trail, sunlight through big trees (picture 2), mossy knolls, waterfalls, stream crossings, campgrounds, you name it! There was one stream crossing at 2.75 miles (picture 3) that was only really doable by going up or downstream and jumping across slippery rocks or logs. Lots of snowmelt right now, so the water levels are high everywhere. Lots of people turned around here, smart decision. I crossed downstream on the way out and upstream on the way back. Besides that stream crossing, there was water on the trail in many places, sometimes up to six inches deep for sections up to 20 feet long. Thanks to conveniently placed rocks and logs, agile feet, waterproof boots, and the added stability of a hiking pole, my feet stayed dry the entire time. There are several logs down across the trail, but all should be pretty easy to step over. Took the river access on the way out and discovered much the same thing. Doable, at least a dozen logs across the trail, and a large swampy section that required some creative pathfinding. Probably stay on the main trail for now if you don't want that much adventuring. Made it to Dutch Miller Gap for a little snack and turned around. Restroom was closed, but two high-clearance cars in the lot suggest that the road is doable. Same story on the way back, skipped the river access as I did not want to navigate the swamp again. No snow at all, saw some bugs but they did not bother me at all. Saw no one else on the way out, and maybe 20 people on the way back. (13 miles, 1800 elevation gain)

Stegosaurus Butte: Turned around the corner on the Pratt Connector and started up the butte trail. After the rolling Middle Fork, the butte is a shock of elevation. Certainly not a highway, a narrow winding trail immediately becomes quite steep, making me thankful for my hiking pole once again. Ate lunch at the top, which was nice and sunny with great views over Rainy Creek, out the Middle Fork Road, and across to Garfield Mountain (picture 4). Down was faster than up, but not by much. Still need to watch for rocks and roots, hiking pole was even more helpful. Snow free, didn't see anyone else while I was up here. (2 miles, 1200 elevation gain)

Garfield Ledges: Walked the Connector Trail over the Garfield Ledges Trailhead. After Stegosaurus Butte, both of these trails felt wide, easy, and relaxing. Saw and heard some chainsaw felling happening over on the CCC Trail just before walking across the car bridge. Pleasantly surprised by the Garfield Ledges Trail, due to had excellent, wide grading and good footing everywhere, pretty much the opposite of the Butte (and stairs!). The view was great (picture 1), especially given the effort required. Could see down the Middle Fork road, out the river, and across to Stegosaurus Butte. Maybe a dozen people or so on the trail, more people coming down than up as it was close to 1:00 by then. No snow or bugs. Walked down and back the same way to the Middle Fork Trailhead, and just barely reached 18 miles of distance. (3 miles, 800 elevation gain)

In total: 18 miles, 6 hours, 3800 elevation gain

TICK WARNING! My mom found a tick on the back of her neck when we were driving home from this hike today. It wasn’t hard to remove (no tweezers needed) and her skin wasn’t red, so I don’t think it had started biting her. No idea how it got on her since we stayed on the trail the whole time and didn’t go bushwhacking or anything.

I’m going to submit it to WA DOH for identification, but as far as I can tell, it’s a Rocky Mountain wood tick, possibly an American dog tick. But ID help from any tick experts out there is appreciated!

Otherwise, the hike was wonderful. It is very humid in the area. Trail is clear, and the moss carpeting the ground is so beautiful. We passed a couple of people heading down when we were going up in the late afternoon. No one else at the summit; we had it to ourselves. The sun was actually warm! There were some tiny, annoying flies; I don’t think they bit me, but they kept landing on my hat. We went back down after half an hour and passed 8 people on their way up.

Most of the drive to the trailhead is on the paved Middle Fork road, which is in good shape, but as others have noted, the road over the bridge and the parking lot are full of massive potholes.

The road to the trailhead parking lot area is paved and fine. Once you get close to the parking lot area, you will encounter large and somewhat deep potholes. An SUV can get around/through them, but anything smaller may not.

The trail is rather steep at times and there are a lot of steep steps about at the midway point. Our 4 year old handled them ok while holding an adult’s hand.

The trail was well maintained and through moss covered forest.

There are very nice picnic areas along the river at the trailhead.

Remy took his humans out for the first family hike of 2025, a quick trip up to Garfield Ledges.  A few potholes in the road but nothing the family wagon couldn’t handle. 
Despite the recent storms the trail is in great condition.  Lots of lovely ferns and moss, and plenty of big rocks and fallen trees to sniff!
Remember to keep your dogs on-leash, pack out the trash and doggie bags, and always - always - praise a good dog :)

Two moms and four kids hiked here this morning in the sunshine. No school today and we are so glad we took advantage and came here! The trail is currently totally mud free and snow free, in case anyone is wondering!

This is a favorite hike in all seasons, it’s especially great for very little ones, and we love bringing elderly family members and out of town visitors here. It’s a short steep climb, but beautiful and it doesn’t take all day. The view is a great payoff for little kids and they feel such a good sense of accomplishment. 

One toilet was locked for the season but one was open, stocked, and fairly  clean. 

The potholes are gnarly right before the bridge and after and all through the parking lot, easy to avoid most but do go slow. Ours were the only two cars in the lot today and we only encountered two other hikers all day.