It Rocks!!
User: big tex - 5/30/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: N/A Solitude: N/A
Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I love this place have been going here since I was 5. Everytime I go her I find something new to explore. Awesome playground for all ages.

Awesome and accessible
User: dviljoen - 3/13/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 2.50 Miles Duration: N/A
This is a great place to take a family. We have 4 kids between 10 and 5 years. Its hard to find a good hike that is easy enough for the young-uns, and interesting enough for the adults. This hike was not trivially easy, but it wasn't a forced march either. The fact that you can see the top the whole way up turns out to be a great motivation to keep going. The views are spectacular. The rock is granite in its natural form. Since we homeschool, it was a great geology lesson for the kids. Its beautiful rock. This is the wrong place to go to get alone though. Its very heavily traveled.

User: timkimbrown - 11/6/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A

A hike with lots of variety
User: kcameron - 7/26/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
We arrived early to avoid the crowds. Still, we met several people as we climbed and then descended the summit. We then worked our way along Sandy Creek and followed the trail that cuts between the Big Rock, Freshman Mountain and Turkey Peak. Once we got on this trail, and later the Loop Trail, we only met 2 other parties of hikers. I enjoy the variety of this park. You can climb the hills, climb the rocks, hike along the creek among the trees, and wander through Echo Canyon and the trees there. The Loop Trail is an excellent and smooth grade for beginning hikers.

Awesome hike early in the morning
User: texasgrape - 6/25/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Here's how you get a 4.5 enjoyability and a 4.5 solitude! Arrive at the Loop Trail trailhead (west side) before dawn! Just as it gets light, proceed. We saw bucks in the velvet, does, fawns, and raccoons. Hill country is very cool, weather wise, in the early mornings. We continued on the Loop Trail and then went north through the Walnut Springs campground. Followed it around to where it crossed the Loop Trail again, but took the Echo Canyon trail back toward the Summit Trail. We were the only ones hiking; everyone else was still sleeping. Because of our early start, we stayed cool and got to see wildlife you ordinarily wouldn't see. Then as soon as we got back close to the summit trail, you could see a line of folks just starting up to the summit; but we were already done and smiling! They looked so HOT. It was so nice, we did the exact same hike the next day!

User: AshleyNicole - 5/14/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 4.50 Miles Duration: N/A
You can never trust the weather! The day was reported to have thunderstorms and such, but it was clear and beautiful. We hadn't hiked in a while, so it was good for us. The rock was great, not really something I feel the need to do again. If possible, on the way down go to the left of the rock. It's a steep way down, but it's more fun and difficult than going back down the way you came. You should go into the town if you get the chance too, nice little German town.

Be prepared for crowds
User: leemark45 - 2/20/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I arrived at 2pm and the parking lot was nearly full. The summit looked like it had a trail of ants. The park rangers said it was normal to have a full parking lot any time of the year. The hike to the top took about 45 minutes and there were a lot of people going up and coming down. After descending I took the main loop trail. Didn't encounter a single person! Moral of the story... if you climb "the rock" expect a crowd. The other trails should be just about empty (at least during the middle of the week. Weekends are another story.) As a side trip, when you exit the park, turn LEFT on RR965. It will dead-end at Hwy 16. Turn right for about 4 miles and when you see the Willow City Loop Road (on your left) TAKE IT! You will have about 13 miles of incredible scenery before you head back to Hwy 16.

User: Team Maya - 10/26/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A

User: matthewNtime - 3/21/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
The cave part of this hike is a must do. I've done it twice, once in December with a Boy Scouting group, once in May with my wife. The winter hike was much preferred, especially for the cave. Creepy crawly things are all over that cave in the warm months.

Great Hike after you climb to the top
User: figment - 4/20/2003  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
There are a couple places to break the loop, such as the Echo Canyon trail, so you can go as far as you want. It's very pleasant along the Sandy Creek, head to the right from the summit trail when you get to the creek.

User: shag - 11/5/2002  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Great Views, No Solitude
User: woodrg0 - 3/15/2002  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A
What a beautiful place to see at day-break...unfortunately we arrived at 10:00am with a never-ending stream of school children.