Hillside Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall

This trail can be traveled in either direction, but following it clockwise as mapped puts most of the elevation and challenges at the start. From the parking lot, head left onto the road and then take the third right at the base of a large waterfall. A series of wooden stairs head into a narrow singletrack with an exposed slope.

This is one of the best parts of the trail as the lush greenery surrounds the hiker and a few views of the lake shine through from below. There are sections of roots and rocks to add to the exposed feel, but once the trail reaches a small overlook it moves more onto the slope and is much simpler as it continues to climb.

At roughly a 0.3 miles, keep right to stay on the Hillside Trail unless you want to explore the Hillside Spur that noticeably terminates without a lookout contrary to what the park map indicates. From the intersection, the singletrack begins to wind down on a smoother tread as it eventually passes in and out of the trees and past a number of waterfalls. At the bottom, you'll arrive at the same waterfall where the trail began. Here you'll find a nice view platform and an even better look at the flowing water.