Appreciation post: That quiet trail by the river turned out better than expected

I tried a lesser-known route along the Smith River in California last week, and the whole thing was peaceful with no crowds. The path was well-kept, and I saw a bunch of deer right at sunset. It was a nice change from the busy spots I usually hike. Finding such a calm place on my own felt like a real win.

3 comments

3 Comments

anna3372mo ago

Glad you had a nice time, but are you sure the trail was well-kept the whole way? In my experience, some parts along that river can get pretty messy after rains, with washouts or overgrown plants. I tried a route there last year and found a couple spots that were not easy to walk on at all. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on when you visit. It's still a beautiful area, and seeing deer like that is special. Finding a calm place without crowds is always a good win.

claire_gibson2mo ago

So when you say well-kept, were you on the actual north fork trail the whole time, or a spur? Because I've been on what looked like a main path near the third bridge only for it to just vanish into a muddy slide area. Did you hit any of those sketchy washed-out bends, or did they finally fix that?

nora_park2mo ago

What's the park service definition of "well-kept," a lack of actual landslides? I was on the main trail and it was fine, but I also consider a little mud and a few sketchy bends just part of the local charm. Maybe they fixed it, or maybe my standards are just tragically low.