Murhut Falls - Went here first. No outhouse or trash can at trail head so plan accordingly. This is a true family friendly hike. Short and sweet. Our crew today was 4 adults, 1 baby, 1 toddler and 2 dogs. Photo of the falls in this trip report is from the upper viewing area. From the lower area, you get sort of an obstructed view of the falls because of the trees. For us, since our toddler likes to wander, we didn't take the kiddo out of the hiking backpack since the upper area is kind of narrow and on the lower area, we didn't want any slips on the rocks. (Older kids would be fine here.) Look up and around because there are some rhodies here and there!

Ranger Hole - Went here second. Note, these trails do not have a trail that connects them. It's about 4 miles on the forest road between Murhut Falls trail head and Ranger Hole trail head so we drove between the two locations. (I suppose if you really wanted to, you could walk the forest road between the two ...) There is an outhouse (did not use.) This is another short and sweet hike. However, the trek back up from the river is very steep and I would be careful of footing because it is gravel. During rainy/muddy conditions, I would be wary of this part of the trail. (We had great sunny/clear weather!) 

Took advantage of yesterday's beautiful weather to take in two quick hikes: Ranger Hole and Murhut Falls. Only about three miles of road separates the two trailheads. The road to Ranger Hole is paved. From there, asphalt gives way to gravel and a few potholes, but any car can manage the drive to Murhut Falls without difficulty. 

There is an outhouse at Ranger Hole. Fully functioning, aside from one minor detail: there's no lock on the door. But a sign on the door reminds people to knock before they enter.

At Ranger Hole, the interpretive trail is worth the very quick detour. The old fishing hole makes for a nice picnic spot. There are about three or four overviews of the hole, each easily accessible from the trail. One faces the southwest and makes for a warm picnic spot. 

Murhut Falls Trail starts on a boring decommissioned logging road but quickly gives way to a more scenic hiking trail. The air cools noticeably the last few hundred feet as you approach the falls, which right now are glorious.

We saw all of four people: a father and son at the first hike and a friendly older couple with their dog at the second hike. Otherwise, we had both hikes to ourselves. Well worth the drive.

As usual, Gibson took photos and I shot video (see below).

Ranger Hole is a short, underrated gem.  The road was in good condition, as was the trail with no snow at all.  It's pretty cool walking past the stumps from logging the original old growth forest.  The trail is a little longer than the description, being a little over 2 miles, particularly if you do the informative loop.  It's a steep last quarter mile to the river level, but once at the river, pictures don't do it justice.  With the spring runoff, the river passing through the cut was spectacular.

Lovely little stop for a hike. The one moderately steep bit is getting to be a bit loose underfoot, but no real obstacles or hazards. The river was lovely. 

Thanks to the efforts of the Mount Rose Trail Crew, the Ranger Hole trail is again open its full length as of today.