HERMAN GULCH
This is a HIGH USE trail! LEAVE NO TRACE and pack out your shit. Literally, pack out your dog poop and your own waste. Do NOT leave toilet paper in the middle of the forest and if the trash at the trailhead is full, take it home with you.
Annual hike to Herman Gulch
There isn’t anything negative to say about the scenery at Herman Gulch! It is beautiful the whole way and the return hike is just as pretty. However, because this trail sees so much use, the trailhead is often in a state of disarray. I have never seen the port-a-potty open, but even if it were available I wouldn’t use it. The trashcan is almost always overflowing with poop bags (and usually a couple are on the trail too) that people don’t take home with them. The trail is frequently crowded, too, go early and if you can, hit this gem mid-week.
It’s not a super easy trail and has some steep parts, but it also meanders through forest and some of the most amazing meadows of wildflowers I have ever seen. Columbines and paintbrush are amazing here! If you can, find your way out on to one of the rocks in the lake at the top for a break before going back down the trail or continue past the lake a bit to take in the views of the valley above.
In 2020 there was a group of moose/meese right near the trail!