Really loved this area and this hike. So peaceful. Saw some others (and horses!) but not at all crowded on a Fri morning in spring.

Tip/keep in mind: Downhill in, slight uphill the whole way back.

Walked 2.9 miles total in 1 hour 20 (includes a long break at the picnic tables). Followed WTA instructions: hops craze, field with tables, then started Potters trailhead for a bit then turned around. Stayed on the road the whole way back because it was getting hot. So many other trailheads to explore another time, I will be back!

Side note - I am finding that a lot of hikes I want to do on WTA seem to be “advanced” (in my perspective) when marked intermediate. This seemed like a better fit for us and it was the perfect day out for me and my pup.

One thing to keep in mind when you hike here. There’s not a lot of horses on these hiking trails….theres a lot of hikers on these horse trails.
Surprise surprise. The trail is a thick, soggy, sticky, muddy mess. Horse hooves have torn it up and there’s road apples every few yards.
But this time of year, it’s one of the best places to get out and touch grass (& mud).
Not complaining, just want you to be aware. There are almost always horses (or fresh evidence of them) on the trails.
Unfortunately, all the trails on west side of the park are still closed….I assume from the damaging wind we had last year.
That said: think about downloading the map from the King County website before heading out, there’s a maze of trails when the whole park is open. There are, however, pretty good maps and trail signs posted throughout the park.

6 miles if you hike all the currently open trails (Hops, Stevensonville & Potters).

We drove up from Olympia to enjoy these trails, but found that many of them are still closed due to storm damage this winter. See the photo that shows the list of closed areas.

We hiked down the road, did the Hops Craze trail, an example of lovely trail construction. Sadly, a recent horseback rider has shortcutted one of the switchbacks, breaking down the slope, which will lead to more erosion.

We hiked the Potters trail to the river and return. There are 2 blowdowns across the trail, but they pose no difficulty. The trail is quite muddy and slick  in places, trekking poles are helpful.

All the Northern area trails are closed, except for the Stevensonville trail, which we hiked. We walked about 5.5 miles on the hike. THEM, Olympia.

Logout work! Very wet day of crosscut sawing, good to be outside as always. Leta's Way and Cedar Grove Trail are clear, still some trees across Miners Trail, Kaponis, and Three Bridges.

Took my pup on a Thanksgiving hike here hoping to find quiet trails. It was a cold and foggy day. The access road, hop craze and potters trail are all clear and in use by horseback riders. There was a large group of riders out today. The three bridges and kapowin trains have some downed trees. Most can be crossed, I didn’t attempt because I didn’t want to climb over with my pup or risk having her get tangled in her leash.