If you’re looking for a family-friendly hike with great views and plenty of shade, we’ve got just the thing. Our brand new 1-mile nature trail is ready for some boot traffic!

The trail begins and ends in the upper parking lot. In between, you’ll explore lush forested areas with a variety of alpine plant life and some amazing views of Goose Creek Canyon, Granite Mountain and Brundage.

The trail is brand new, so here are some tips for success as you head up to check it out:

We’ve got a whole bunch of trail signs on the way, but until we get the official markings up for the trailhead, you’ll want to look for the red, white and blue flagging near the pet area.

You can hike the loop either way, but this is the easiest piece of trail to find, so head on up…

As you can see, this trail is very soft and loose (all new trails are), so please wear appropriate hiking footwear.

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for these pink ribbons.

Until our signage arrives, these will mark trail crossings and, most importantly, an intersection with one of our bike trails.

Please cross with caution. Bikers descend these trails at high speeds and may not be able to stop quickly.

If you’re not sure what to do at an intersection, choose the flattest trail. This photo shows the kind of trail you do not want to hike on (for the reason mentioned above.)

Once you’ve got those two key points in mind (proper footwear, watch for pink ribbons), you can relax, cruise the trail, and enjoy beautiful sights like these:

One more exciting thing about this trail: it won’t hibernate during the winter. The trail is designed to be snowshoe friendly.

Come check it out and let us know what you think!

– April