Balsamroot Trail

Older hiker 50's who is trying to get my hiking legs back. I tend to do brisk walks and alternate with something a little more difficult. I like the trail! Overall, if you stay on the main, it is not difficult but it does work you wout a little bit :)n----nFirst... NO restroom facilities. You will go for awhile once committewd on the trail before you are out of view of houses once you gome into their view. I think it was just about 1.2 miles in. Seems a short distance, but it is a ways in.nSecond... I like to solo hike. This may not be the best for that unless that is REALLY what you want. I was on it for 2 1/4 hours and completed my trek at 9pm in late July... Barely made it out before darkness kicked in. No one on the trail at all. I came back to the original part of the trail and only saw my tracks coming up.nnI suggest taking some sort of GPS/Topo map with you. I used the ALLTrails APP. Reason for this is that the trail branches at points starting near an area where there are habitat projects with little fenced in areas. Past there is where I realized that I could not keep on going due to time. I decided to take the first branch to the right which showed it would meet what looked like an access road. It wound down quickly into a little gully and brush and then straight back up hill. It was deceiving as it ended up being a huge hill that sloped from 20deg to close to 45degs at times. It was a long extended haul, maybe a mile overall but my map showed that I would reach a dirt road I had passed over much earlier. This was going to be the way I would get back rather than having to come down that steep hill again. It ws getting later and I wanted to make decent time. HOWEVER, Each turn and hill seemed like it hid more! I should have taken the second cutoff which was longer but much less steep. I could see it.nnBAD NEWS... That road or double track/jeep trail, once I encountered it was marked as closed permanently to ALL access due to rehabilitation/restoration! I still chose to press on that way back as I had already committed to climb that big hill. I figured my excuse was my age, lack of knowledge of the trails, and I was so far back in by myself that I needed out before it became dark. Aside from the obvious closure, I would highly recommend NOT taking that road back. It has very steep and long hills, some up, some down as expected. Potential for slipping is great. This road is VERY steep. Only saving factors were that it was quicker overall so helped me get out before dark and the hills up were shorter. However, that means the hills down were long and sketchy. I would not go that way back again even if that road was open. Finding a lone stick that I used as a hiking pole made all the difference.nnLike I say, no facilities and no one else on the trail at all. I did see that someone else had been up and down recently and that bikes were using it. It would be a fun ride for someone who was experienced I would imagine. Bring Water. Maybe bring a friend. And most of all.. Plan your way in and out to account for time!nnI will go again at some point to see where I can go with more time.nI recommend it. Great 360 views on tops of those dirt road hills and some 180-270 views on a couple of spots long the trail.

This is an awesome trail fun to hike.

A great little foothills trail that provides wonderful views of the valley!

The trails are great, but the road can be pretty sketchy.

Well made trail!