Contrary to what Google maps indicated, the Cyrus Gates Overlook parking lot is open, including the restrooms. I failed to read the driving directions carefully enough and thus challenged my Honda Fit to navigate the 3.5 miles of gravel (and very dusty dirt) road. Thank goodness the potholes were negligible. Because of the lingering wild fire smoke, there was no view from the parking lot, but perhaps that helped keep the usage low.
Looking at the stairs before going down made me question my judgement a bit, but they were less daunting coming back up than expected. I'm short but WTA did an excellent job of making them just the right height and spacing which really made a difference. If my count was right, there were only 174 anyway.
The rock walls were majestic, the trail was in excellent condition and we only saw 3 people total so it felt like having the place to ourselves. This was my first time in Larrabee State Park. Next time I'd love to plan a longer hike that combines this with others.
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