We chose the Forest Park Ridge Trail as an afternoon hike. We started from the NW Bridge Ave trailhead, and we were lucky to arrive just as another car was leaving--the parking area (holds 6-7 cars) was full. The actual trailhead is 0.14 mi up the road from the parking area.
There were other hikers on the trail, but it was not too crowded. We could see the St. Johns Bridge clearly, with Mt. Adams and Mt. Saint Helens behind it. After the bridge peekaboos, there are not really any other grand vistas, though the interior forest flora and fauna are quite beautiful. We saw swallowtail butterflies, birds, and chipmunks. Thimbleberries, candy flower, and herb-Robert (geranium) are in bloom. Himalayan blackberries are not quite ripe, and blueberries have yet to emerge.
We traversed up to the Springville Road TH for a total one-way distance of 2.12 miles (We could have stopped where the Ridge Trail meets Firelane 7, which would have been 1.7 miles one-way). Total trip was 4.25 miles, with elevation gain of 982 feet. Most of the gain is in the first 2/3 of the trip up. Total time was just under 2 hours.
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