Getting There:

I was just out for a cruise. I was considering heading out to Stevenson to hop on Red Bluff Road. As I was passing Beacon Rock, I thought I scout the Horse Camp/Trailhead. About 100 yards away is the road to the campground. It's closed for the season but the trailhead is open. I wasn't really planning on a hike but I've been carrying my gear (shoes, hiking poles) in the truck for such an impromptu occasion. I have my Discovery Pass for WA Parks so good there too!

The Hike:

The trail was pretty muddy in places. Other hikers before me had laid pine branches and such to get across the most saturated sections. However, in spots the trail surface was gorgeous: sandy, hard packed, no rocks. It's climbs pretty steadily so my calves got a good workout.

There are steep switchbacks, very technical when I got the base of the mountain, a hunk of granite.

In fact, because this was an impromptu hike I only went as far as Little Hamilton Mountain. The clouds were coming in and I had no gear (water, rain coat, etc). That's 1.7 miles up (1500 ft). The "top" is another mile along the trail and an additional 900 ft elevation gain.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/washington/hamilton-mountain-trail--2

Next time! This is an easy drive and good hike.