We arrived at the Dalles Ridge trailhead at about 10:00. The road is a little rough in places with some minor potholes, but overall in pretty good shape. We passed several hunting camps on our way up, and the only other vehicles at the trailhead were a few 4x4 pickup trucks. Turned out the only other people we saw on the trail all day were hunting parties, with the exception of one woman and her off-leash dog near the summit. I'd recommend wearing bright colors and/or making a lot of noise if hiking here during hunting season so you don't get mistaken for a game animal!
There isn't any signage at the trailhead (no toilets, info board, or facilities of any kind, either)-- but where the road ends an obvious footpath begins, so we followed that. Junctions with other trails along the way do have signposts, so it was easy to find our way to Noble Knob without making any wrong turns. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. Much of it is through the skeletons of trees crisped up by a forest fire, and the wind whistling among them added a spooky soundtrack for this autumn adventure.
The forecast had been calling for overcast skies and intermittent rain all day, but we lucked out and not only stayed dry but were also treated to views of Mount Rainier! We had three six-year-olds in our group, and they enjoyed this hike: there were some fairly steep portions, but most of the trail was a gentle undulating grade rather than an unrelenting uphill slog. The variety of terrain and spectacular views helped keep things interesting, too.
Stats from GPS: 5.1 miles roundtrip, 605 ft elevation difference between trailhead and summit, ~1150 ft total ascent/descent, 4 hours trip duration (including lunch break, rest stops, etc.). Great day on the trail!
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