Lots of mud on the trail. Wear good mud and water proof shoes. We took our dog and 3 year old son. Perfect hike for families!

It took us forever to find this location (via car), but that's an error on our part I think. BUT, once we found the bridge, we parked just past it and walked back over to the beginning of the trail. It's a steep embankment you have to climb down to get to the trail, but that's the hardest part. I like that you can still see some of the old rocks/cobblestones on the road as you are walking. By the time we got to the old schoolhouse we were getting eaten alive by the bugs and practically had to run back to get rid of them so make sure to bring your bug spray!!

Went with my husband and two of our beagles. The climb down to the trail was steep (as reported by plenty before me) but certainly doable. My husband monkeyed right down, I was a bit more cautious, but we both made it just fine. The trail itself was beautiful! It was a warm day and not too busy. We only ran into one other couple on our hike. Yes, there was plenty of water and mud on the trail but no more than my mid-high Merrell's could handle. I want to go on this one again as I really want to know what's in the opposite direction from the ghost town!

The trail is wet and muddy but not a problem with boots on. I was glad I brought a hiking pole for the steep parts and for clearing twigs blocking drainage. It was fun wandering all around wondering what life was like back in the day. A bit downstream from the old bridge foundation we found a way down to the river and found a nice spot for lunch. It was a fun day!

As we continue hiking Washington’s mountains and forests, we often find ourselves running into pieces of the past. The state is riddled with crumbling buildings, abandoned towns, and former railroad hubs. Recently, we decided adding a few more ghost towns to the blog would be fun and so we packed up and headed out to the town of Melmont to see what we could find. If you’re looking for a short stroll through Washington’s history, Melmont is a good choice. Other than the short drop down to the railroad grade, which could be tricky for some very young hikers, the trip out to the town site is very easy. At the same time, there is not much in the way of serious hiking. You can extend your hike a bit to push down to the river, but other than that, we are not sure there is much more to see. We recommend this hike for those interested in ghost towns or those looking for a quick winter adventure. Check out the full report at: http://www.hikingwithmybrother.com/2012/02/melmont-ghost-town.html Jer