I'll start with the positives... this hike was beautiful! The wildflowers and views were spectacular. I'd say it's probably right around peak. I loved seeing the paintbrush along with the balsamroot and lupine!
The negatives (with the caveat, that yes, we went at 3pm on a Saturday during peak wildflower season)... SO MANY PEOPLE WERE TRAMPLING THE FLOWERS. One person even had a bouquet of balsamroot as she was posing for that perfect Instagram photo. There were multiple dogs, when the trail clearly says no dogs. We saw many people off-trail in areas that were closed for restoration. It was infuriating. I feel that with this being a nature preserve, maybe there should be a fee to enter and probably a little bit of trail etiquette enforcement. It was heartbreaking to witness such ridiculous behavior.
That said, if you are capable of following the rules so we can continue to enjoy this fragile environment, you should go in the next week or so before the balsamroot start to fade!
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