Boulder River

We decided to try out this 8.6 mile trail despite the ominous weather forecast. It is a relatively flat trail that meanders along the Boulder River often 50-100 feet above the river. The first mile is through logged forest but after that you enter the 48,674-acre Boulder River Wilderness and hike through a nice area of old growth. There were many impressive cedar trees and the trilliums and huckleberries were blooming. We passed three nice waterfalls rushing down the canyon wall, all in the first hour of the hike. After the falls the trail became quite muddy and the light rain turned into a more constant downpour. We had misread the trail guide and thought we were headed to a final water fall at 4.3 miles so we were a little disappointed to find out that the trail just ends in a flat camping area near the river. On a sunny day it would be a beautiful place to relax for a while, but in the cold rain we only stopped for a few minutes. There was another nice camping area right before you reach the wilderness boundary. The hike out was cold and wet and the trail had turned into a series of giant puddles and mud pits. All in all, it was nice to get out and we mostly enjoyed the hike.