Cold Spring Waterfall View
Ben Lomond Peak Trail to Terry's Trail Loop
Welcome to the trail!
Here’s another new-to-us loop (with bonus detour to a shady stream (UPDATE: I returned to this stream a couple weeks later and it is not a stream anymore! Apparently it’s a seasonal runoff sort of thing!)) that I can’t wait to tell you about! We found this route quite by accident as we started out on the Ben Lomond Peak Trail in North Fork Park one evening. When the trail forked away from the main climb to the peak, we took it and found ourselves wandering on a wide, shady path. Eventually we came to an opening in the trees where we caught a glimpse of a waterfall in the distance. The kids found plenty of dyer’s woad to pick along the trail, and we all enjoyed the peaceful, cool evening in the forest. A stream crossing, lots of wildflowers, and a small stand of aspens made this a beautiful little loop. Welcome to the trail I’m calling the Cold Spring Waterfall View.
How to get there
From Valley Market in Eden, drive northwest on Highway 162 for about 2.5 miles where you merge onto 3500 E and continue about a half mile to the three-way stop near Liberty Park. Turn left on 4100 N then right on 3300 E and continue driving north for about 1.5 miles until you take a slight left onto North Fork Road. Turn left on 5950 N at the sign for the Ben Lomond Trail/South Gate Entrance. Stay on this road till you enter the park through the gate. Turn left at the sign for Loop B/Corrals, then follow the road around till you see the metal horse corrals in a large clearing. Park here in the day use area. You should see large trailhead signs west of the corrals at the edge of the trees. There are no restrooms in this parking area, but a number of restroom buildings are available elsewhere in the campground.
Trail at a glance
Total distance: 1.2 miles round trip (for the loop with waterfall view) or 1.5 miles round trip (with an extra side trip to a stream (or streambed, if the runoff is done and the stream is dry))
Elevation gain: 250 feet (waterfall view only) or 284 feet (with extra stream crossing)
Destination: view of distant waterfall (or optional extra stream crossing)
Tyke perks: bridge, flowers, weed pulling, big sappy fir tree with woodpecker holes, corals (which made a surprisingly entertaining playground for our park-deprived kids), thimbleberries (these are edible red fruit similar to raspberries that are fun to find and taste later in the summer)
Notable flora: wildflowers (mules ear, hyssop, forget-me-not, bluebell, geranium, salsify, mountain dandelion), trees (chokecherry, oak, maple, Douglas fir, aspen), weeds (dyer’s woad, houndstongue (there’s a new noxious weed you can watch out for and pull!)), and thimbleberries
Fascinating fauna: butterflies, bees, song birds (and if you’re lucky, rarer large mammals like moose, elk, and deer)
Watch out for:
horses (the area is popular for riding)
mountain bikes (you’ll probably see most bikers right at the beginning where the heavily trafficked 365 Trail crosses the entrance to the Ben Lomond Trail, so look both ways as you cross)
mountain lions and black bears (I’ve never seen either, but this is bear and cougar country and it is important to be alert)
sun (there is some shade, but also some sunny stretches, so be prepared with water and sunscreen!)
While you’re hiking
Walk from your car to the trailhead signs directly west of the corrals (look both ways before crossing the 365 Trail so you don’t get run over by a biker!), and keep heading west on the Ben Lomond Peak Trail as it gently climbs for 0.25 miles until you reach a small bridge surrounded by aspens. (Note: this is where you’ll find those thimbleberries later in the summer!) The trail curves to the east and continues to climb for another 0.10 mile where you’ll come to a fork. Stay straight on the wider path; this is Terry’s Trail. In less than 0.10 miles (about 0.4 miles from the start) you’ll come to another fork. This is where the loop portion of our hike begins; you can go either direction, but I think for best viewing of the waterfall you should take the trail on the right.
In roughly 0.15 miles, the trees to your right will open up and you’ll be able to hear and spy the waterfall way up on the steep slope of Ben Lomond. The water comes from Cold Spring cascading down the rocks and creating Cobble Creek. (Note: binoculars may be handy, if you have some, for a better look at the waterfall since it is so far away and appears so small from this spot. I’ve included the photo below with a star indicating where you should be looking to spot it.)
Once you’ve seen the waterfall, continue hiking and shortly you’ll come to a meeting of three trails. If you’re feeling adventurous you can turn right down the hill (note: this is the steepest section of the hike) and walk about 0.15 miles to a big log and a shady stream crossing the trail. This could be a cool resting/snacking spot if the day is hot. When you’re done, just turn around and follow the same trail back to the crossroads. Stay straight ahead (or if you’re skipping the bonus side trip to the stream, turn left) to close the loop back to your car.
About 0.10 miles into this section of the loop you’ll catch a glimpse of the valley below, and in another 0.10 miles you’ll come to another branch in the trail. Take the left fork to return to the Ben Lomond Trail that you started out on. As you walk this section, see if you can find your car below. Another fun find: just before the trail turns to the left down to the thimbleberry bridge, you’ll see a large, sappy Douglas fir tree with a series of holes punched in its side. Can you guess who’s been here?
You’ve got about a quarter of a mile left to go. Don’t forget to listen and watch for bikers as you cross the 365 on your way back to your car. And maybe if your tykes have been missing playgrounds as much as ours (thanks for nothing, coronoavirus!), they’ll want to climb on the corrals for a minute before you head home.
Happy hikers
How fun to hear from more of you readers and hikers! Thanks for sending in your photos and letting me know what you and your tykes thought of the hikes. Karen’s family (including her not-quite-four-year-old) hiked to the Ogden Canyon Waterfall Overlook, Nora’s family found the conveyor belt on the Machinery Trail, and Andy and his kids cooled off in the water on the Middle Fork Puddle Loop. I love it!
Keep your pictures coming! If you loved one of my featured trails, let me know by replying to this email and I’ll add them to the next newsletter. Happy trails!