I went about 1/3 of the way to the balcony. It was nice.

We got there around 10:00am, and the trail and parking lot were both shockingly empty for Saturday during a three-day weekend. Section where you cross the road is a little funky and not well posted; you need to actually cross the bridge and not just the road. Otherwise, beautiful hike with great views.

Caution(?): Part of a tree trunk fell a few inches from my face. I put a screenshot of the location of where it was. It’s a skinny trunk so it’s not a big obstacle (see photo) but be vigilant especially if you hear a cracking sound around you.

We arrived at the trailhead at 11am on a Sunday and all the parking spots were taken but there was one spot along the road at the entrance to the lot. Passed other hikers every 15-20 minutes or so but once we got to the top, there was only one other party there.

There are some ripe thimbleberries but most aren’t ripe yet. A good number of wildflowers.

Parking lot was overflowing by 12PM on Saturday, but the trail wasn’t crowded surprisingly. Great location for climbing and bouldering and saw a few groups doing that along the trail.

Lots of switchbacks and elevation gain for the first half of the hike before it mellows out and provides great spots to rest, eat, and enjoy the views. The ledges aren’t super comfortable to sit on, so bring a sitting pad if you plan on staying a bit at the top.

The trail is frontloaded with steep, rocky switchbacks, then mellows out to a slower climb for the second leg. There are multiple spots to stop along the way and enjoy the view of the surrounding hills. The river near the trailhead is a great place to cool off after the hike.