This was a beautiful and easy hike that I took with my parents who are older, casual hikers. I needed a short, flat trail that would show off fall foliage for them, and this was perfect.
The parking was a small lot that you pull over on the right for. It wasn't obviously labeled "Oxbow Loop Trail" but it's a pretty visible lot that accommodates around 8 cars by my estimation.
From the lot, there was a short path to take before the loop. On this path, there were already great views of other mountains and rivers.
85% of the hike is an easy path where there are trees covered in orange leaves, moss, and ferns to both the left and right of you, but we never felt lost or in the middle of a forest. Once we were near the lake, we caught glimpses of the lake from the path.
It started raining during the hike, so we didn't spend too much time looking around, and took brief breaks under some bigger trees.
After this, we drove ~5 minutes down the road to also check out the Russian Butte View Day Use Area for 10 minutes.
Overall, I'm really happy with how beautiful the fall views were, and also how easy it was for my parents. We only had to take one break on one small hill, which is great for them, and it took us about 70 minutes to complete. I would definitely go back for a short, flat hike.
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