Oxbow Loop Trail — Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025

Happy winter solstice! And happy year of monthly Oxbow Loop hikes to me! I’ve visited this trail every month in 2025, and it’s been rewarding to see how it changes with the seasons. It’s been such a meaningful experience for me during a difficult year. Also lucked out today and hiked during a break in the rain.

If you take the side trail to the river, you’ll see how high the recent floodwaters were. I hiked with my dad, who’s 5’6, and there were signs that the water would have been above his head during the recent storm. It was pretty wild to imagine. It also looks like the river reconnected with the lake during the flood; the lake is the highest I’ve seen it and colored with river silt.

SE Lake Dorothy Rd is still closed, so you have to take the Middle Fork road in. There’s one short section that is one-way due to, I’m assuming, slide danger. There are some branches from blowdowns jutting out into the road in a few places, so drive aware.

The trail is mostly clear, there are a few small blowdowns but they weren’t difficult to step over.