Arrived at the road to the trail head (at about 10:30am) and there were only about 6 cars parked along side the road.  There was still 6 inches of snow on the ground so I also parked along side the road and about 1/8 mile in, saw the gate on the road was closed anyway.  This added about 2 miles each way in some snow.  Luckily there was a 1 foot path packed down from snow shoers and others which made it more bearable but it still took me about 1 hour to hike those two miles.  

Made it to the trail head and found the trail to be packed down nicely.  There were only a few obstacles (a fallen log and an area where you have to walk on some large rocks to cross some water) but it wasn't too bad.  There weren't too many slippery parts but you could benefit from some spikes, poles or extra traction.  There is a 1/2 mile section towards the end that's an incline and was probably the most difficult part.

The views of the river along the trail were nice but most were obstructed.  There were a few nice clearings though.

Once to the falls, they were gorgeous.  There isn't a ton of space on top so it can get crowded during busy times.  Also plenty of people hike with dogs (both on and off leash).  All in all, it took me 4.5 hours to hike from the road and back.  I would not start this hike this time of year any later than 1:00pm since sunset is around 6:00pm.

Arriving at the gate around 9:15am for the 2 mile road walk to the TH, we had the road and the trail to ourselves.  Weather was great!  Given the relatively warm temperatures the water was running high and fast!   

As we closed in on the falls, knowing the spray was going to soak us, we put on our rain jackets and pack covers and continued on.  Upon arrival at the view point, we pleasantly found that the rain jackets were not needed after all. Despite the volume of water falling, the spray from the falls was blowing everywhere except at the viewpoint.  

On the return trip we saw the first people of the day, a family of 4. We weren't sure we'd see anyone else but shortly there after it was a steady string of folks.  Guessing we encountered about 50 people heading in as we were heading out, and about 20 cars parked along the road near the gate when we returned.

FYI - As you might guess with the gate being closed, the trail head toilet is closed for the season. :) 

Road to trailhead was pretty easily navigated with some potholes but no snow. We parked along the road at the gate/road closure. I believe this adds a little over 1.5 miles each way to the mileage.

The trail to the falls is pretty mellow and at an easy grade. Maybe one or two small blowdowns to step over, but otherwise a pretty casual hike through the woods and along the creek.

The falls were running nicely - congrats to the couple who got engaged while we were there! 

This is a great Fall hike especially after Thanksgiving. Road 3064 was in decent shape, some potholes but not horrible. I followed a Jetta in so any car can drive this road.

The gate was still open until next week, it closes December 1st and re-opens on April 1st. If you decide to hit this trail after 12/1 don’t worry you’ll add like a mile to the trek (that’s not a bad thing). 

 The trail was muddy in some areas, thats to be expected. This trail follows the creek obviously and has some steep banks towards the creek, so if you hike with young ones watch them closely.  

Backwoods Brewing is on your way back to Hwy 14, if your in need of good micro-beer or you can go find another trek like Panther Creek Falls. 

Happy Treking! 

Today was a perfect day for this hike.  The weather was great and we got to the trailhead early enough that there weren't any crowds yet. 

The gate at the start of FR 3062 is still open so you can drive all the way to the trailhead.  However, the road is closed starting December 1st, adding a couple miles to your hike.  The road has a fair number of potholes, but it's not too bad.

The trail is in good condition.  There's a small tree leaning across the trail near the intersection with the upper trail, but it's easy to go under it.  A lot of the leaves have fallen, but there's still some fall colors, and no snow on the trail yet.