Heather Park — Saturday, Jun. 4, 2022

I hiked 7 mi. round trip of the trail's 10, turning around at about 3.5 up due to snow and some fresh mountain lion floof I saw on the trail (I didn't heed the warning at the trailhead to avoid hiking solo here, eek). I imagine some microspikes or even just waterproof boots with good tread might be sufficient for the snow, but the snow consistency made for lots of post-holing. The trail is in good condition and I only ran into one other group on my way out, on a Saturday, despite the parking lot being full for the adjacent Lake Angeles trail. I was wearing a 40 lb. training pack and it took me around 3 hours total. I saw a few Calypso orchids and trillium flowers, and several cool types of fungi including Orange Peel fungus. You don't need a park pass of any kind as this trail is just to the right before the park entrance gate; however, there are no amenities at the trailhead and you need to pay an entrance fee (or have a Nat'l Park Pass) to gain entrance to the nearest restrooms. The next closest are at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center about 6 miles down the road. This trail is on the steep side but is totally do-able for most -- just bring a buddy in case the mountain lions are prowlin'.