Arrived at the trailhead at around 11:30 am on a mostly cloudy (but dry) Wednesday. This trailhead is very popular with mountain bikers so the lot was busy but still had a lot of open spots. The weather looked promising on my drive east so I was hoping for some views, but it was almost completely socked in at both Stan's Overlook and Grand Prospect. With no views today, I turned my attention to mushrooms and mosses and enjoyed hunting for both.
This trail does have a decent amount of elevation gain but it also has quite a few level areas and even dips down a couple of times to add some variety to the journey. The Grand Prospect viewpoint is at around 3,100 feet of elevation so, while it was still snow-free today, it was quite chilly and I was glad that I had gloves and a puffy coat for the descent. There were a couple of small blowdowns along the way but otherwise the trail was in great shape with only a few small muddy sections and no difficult water crossings. This hike is a great choice if you're looking for a shorter drive and easy trailhead access, but still a decent amount of distance and elevation gain.
8.5 miles, 3.5 hours, 2,200 feet of elevation gain
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