Laurel-Snow

A couple weeks ago we enjoyed a cold day at one of our favorite places, Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness. We drove to Dayton Friday night so we could get an early start Saturday morning. They've recently paved the road to the trailhead, and it was a dream to drive on compared to the old road! We got on the trail around 8am and besides being passed by a few runners, we had the trail to ourselves for a few hours. The trail parallels Richland Creek for about the first mile before turning right and heading uphill. There was a lot of water flowing today so it's enjoyable hiking right next to the creek.

After heading uphill away from Richland Creek, it's about another 1/2 mile to a large metal bridge spanning Laurel Creek. From here, take the right fork at the sign to Laurel Falls. Not far from the bridge is Laurel Falls Cascades, a great place for a break before starting the elevation up to Laurel Falls.

Continue past the cascades, keeping an eye out for the white blazes. The switchbacks continue for about .75 miles before reaching the majestic Laurel Falls. Even though we've been here many times before, the awe and wonder never goes away.

We scampered up to the cliff wall next to the falls and saw some cool icicle formations formed from the spray of the waterfall. The sun shining here felt nice too. We followed the cliff line to meet back up with the trail before the steep ascent to the top of the bluff overlooking Laurel Falls. We'd actually never seen this view of the falls before so were glad we hiked up here!

We decided to continue on the trail to Laurel Creek. Normally you can continue past the creek to another overlook, but the water was flowing a little too fast today, and it would have been too cold! 

We turned around here and made our way back down the trail for one last look at Laurel Falls before heading back. Once we reached Richland Creek we found a nice, sunny spot to enjoy lunch and relax for a bit before heading back to the trailhead. I had us going 6.91 miles with 1,091 feet of elevation gain/loss. I've highlighted our route in yellow on the map below. We absolutely love it here, and no matter if you hike 6 miles or just a few hundred feet down the trail, there is something for everyone to enjoy!