Elbow Lake, Bell Pass, Park Butte, Railroad Grade & Mazama Park via Ridley Creek — Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025

The Middle Fork Road is in pretty good shape aside from a few big potholes. I parked at the Ridley Creek trailhead (end of the road) and walked down to the Elbow Lake trail. The river crossing was very, very scary for my dog. There is a dry log flat log with hand ropes, and taken slowly, it is not too bad. The trail is in good shape, but a bit brushy before reaching the lake. There are some cute places there to hang out or camp. Beyond the lake, there is one very big log to navigate around that would be difficult for someone with limited mobility. There was also quite a bit of wet vegetation in this area. The Elbow Lake Trail eventually comes to an intersection with the Bell Pass Trail. I stayed left and headed towards Mazama Park. The Bell Pass trail was in really good shape. Very comfortable, mostly shady hiking on good tread. There were several decent water sources to filter from. Once we reached Mazama Park, the flowers and views were excellent. The Bell Pass Trail passes through the park then ascends Bell Pass and meets the trail to Park Butte and Railroad Grade. These trails were in excellent shape and less busy than usual. After enjoying the views, the dog and I headed back down Bell Pass and turned right onto the Ridley Creek Trail. This path through Mazama Park is really pretty and pleasant. It is a bit swampy in sections, but nothing excessive or overly buggy. After leaving Mazama Park, the Ridley Creek trail was in decent shape despite being rocky in places. The final river crossing is equipped with a sturdy log bridge with rope handrails. The raging river did get the logs a bit wet, but the crossing was easier to navigate than the crossing on the Elbow Lake Trail.