Great and scenic walk with dogs. Arrived at the parking area around 1100 on a sunny spring Saturday. Busy, but there were still spots. Parking area is pretty good sized (upwards of 50 spots). Flat paved path along the lake shore. It was busy, but all dogs were on leashes, and there were multiple wider spots if you need to make extra space to pass. We have three big dogs who are sort of trail hogs, so we appreciated this feature! The path down to the Punchbowl at just over a mile from the parking area is short but a tiny bit rugged. It was a perfect turnaround for the dogs after a quick dip in the lake to cool off. We went up the other side and then came back through the tunnel, which was super cool. We found a nice grassy point just off the trail on the way back for a little more splashing. Trail was expectedly busy (and multi-use, lots of bikers) but everyone was courteous and friendly as they navigated by us. Highly recommended.
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
No bugsSnow
Snow free
Comments
Anna Roth on Spruce Railroad Trail
Your dogs are *so* adorable, these pics made my whole morning.
Posted by:
Anna Roth on Apr 29, 2025 10:25 AM
Paul Nylund on Spruce Railroad Trail
Thank you Anna! They get lots of attention on the trail too, usually, even though we're often a bit of a circus! You can check out more photos and videos (from this adventure, and lots of others) on their Instagram page, look for Murphie_thenewfie on that app. (no links for safety purposes). Murphie(M,4) is the brown Newfoundland, Sage(F,5) is the landseer Newfie, and Olive(F, 3) is the Bernese mountain dog. They love to meet new people, and we like to take photos/videos, lol. Thanks for the WTA work, see you on the trail someday, maybe. You'll see us coming, for sure!
Posted by:
Paul Nylund on Apr 30, 2025 07:05 AM
Bmurph on Spruce Railroad Trail
I nearly mistook the last picture of Murphie as the backend of a bear! That's a great crew you have there. :)
Posted by:
Bmurph on May 23, 2025 03:47 PM