Short backpacking trail out to a lovely campsite by the river. Elevation feels like more than 800 feet - lots of up and down - but a couple hours gets you right next to the water, and there are a few great swimming holes! Small parking lot with stocked bathroom, and nearby campsite Brown Creek gets quite full. Lots of fern - sword, ostrich, oak, maidenhair - and flowering trailing blackberry, Nootka rose, vanilla leaf. 

I know the trail description says this, but another reminder that you will not see the river up close on this hike. (You can hear it though!) Also, because of the climbing at the start, I am not sure if I'd recommend this for families with small children who are of walking age. 

Our group today was 4 adults, 1 toddler, 1 baby and 2 dogs. The two of us carrying a small child on this trail really felt the steep inclines :) 
No issues driving to trailhead in our Camry.

We started around 10:45 am and were back at our cars around 12:40pm. Our watches all tracked slightly different but I think we did a little over 3 miles roundtrip. Although there were quite a handful of cars at the trailhead, the trail did not seem crowded at all. We passed other hikers here and there, many well-behaved and leashed dogs, too. 

Trail well maintained. There were a few creek crossings. Nothing challenging. We turned around at one that was flowing a little more than the others we crossed though. You may get wet socks crossing this one if you don't have waterproof boots or if you are with children. (This one I am referring to is the last photo in this trip report.)

Beautiful old growth trees and green ferns. All the trillium seemed to have been over, we saw many where the flowers were already gone. 

Wanted a mellow hike with some distance close to Olympia which led me to this hike I had not heard about before. 

Road conditions: Pretty drive from 101 and it’s only gravel for a short distance which was a pleasant surprise.

TH: Clean/stocked toilet. 

Trail: Weather was a welcoming low 60’s- started at 12:40, returned at 4:40, hiked 8+ miles, about 1,100ft elevation. I was prepared for the initial 300ft gain from recent reports but was surprised to immediately go steeply down hill (which makes for uphill at the end!). Coming back I tracked the elevation and it was only 300ft over .5m but the first 150ft is steep then it’s gentle. Of course 1,1000 over 8 miles is not difficult but most of the elevation is at the beginning/end. Pretty hike that is about the journey. We turned around just after the bridge/waterfall (you don’t really see a real waterfall)- it’s the second bridge/waterfall FYI. Saw just 1 other couple hiking- it was so peaceful. You hear the river the whole time but you don’t really see it. At 2.2 miles there is a camp site- nice place for a break on the return & to dip your toes in the water- it’s an offshoot of the river. Where we turned around (4+m) there was access to the river- it was high and fast. Didn’t stop there as the other couple was there.  

Would hike again, bringing a camping chair for a nice break in nature, listening to/watching the river (the camp site would make a good resting area or down by the river at 4+ miles). Plenty of water crossings (didn’t need to use my poles) so you could easily filter water, which I will also do next time.

Best river access seems to be right across from the TH.

We hiked from the Brown's Creek TH to Camp Comfort. We found about a half dozen down trees that can be stepped over or ducked under without too much trouble. There were four creek crossing that were a little deep and slippery. Used poles but got my boots a little wet. Those wet rocks and branches can be tricky. There's also some brushy stretches with face-slapping branches. There is a trail washout about 1.5 miles out. It's clear everyone is creating a boot path in the forest to detour around the washout.I'm thinking the WTA work happened upstream of Camp Comfort. Blooming flowers included large patches of vanilla leaf, miner's lettuce, false solomon seal, starry solomon seal and some bug bane and oregon grape.