Ferguson Canyon Hike

If you have ever thought you might enjoy a nice hike up Ferguson Canyon, let me share a couple of things with you. This is not an attempt to scare you off, but you may want to read this first.

Please note that there is no street parking allowed at the trailhead. There are several spaces for cars to park. It is noted that dogs must be on-leash and that animal control monitors this area as well.

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From the parking lot, walk up the steps or the path and you will head north. You will pass a gate and a water tank. The trail is nice and easy to follow at this point. The first section of this hike is relatively flat and you soon enter the trees where there is shade even on a warm day. I did not know this and was so happy as I do not love hiking in the heat. There is something about sweat dripping down my back and my hair matted to my head that just isn’t as glamorous as the IG photos look :). My husband thrives in the heat, but I am cool hiking weather sort of girl.

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You will soon hit the river and this is where the trail gets tricky because frankly, there is no trail. The best advice I can give is to stay to the right of the river the best you can. This is a popular climbing area so you may see climbers on the rock as you hike up. We found ourselves walking up the river bed in the water trying to figure out where to go. You will eventually come to a point where you can cross to the opposite side and continue on the trail again. Always use caution when crossing rivers in the spring with the runoff. If it seems too high, best to turn around.

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Now comes the first of 2 really really steep sections. I am talking take 2 steps forward one slip back. I luckily had my trekking poles which helped me. Be prepared for this steep section. Luckily this area has rocks that can be used to get better footing as you ascend.

Be sure to look to the right as there is a beautiful waterfall in the spring. It is small, but very pretty.

Continue up the trail and you will come to another waterfall that ends in a large area of water that would be great for kids to play in to cool off. I recommend that with littler children, you stop here, enjoy the water and turn around. If you choose to continue on, cross the river and continue up the trail on the other side.

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At this point, the trail is very steep and slick. If I slip, that is just par for the course, but when my husband and son start slipping, you know it is steep. Getting up was doable, but coming down was a bit trickier and more like skiing down 🙂 . Okay, not totally, but you get the idea. Be prepared to slide a bit coming down. Then the trail flattens out for a bit and is lush green. We did see a snake here so watch yourself.The trail will start to head north and this is where the tree cover stops. It becomes hot and there is no water once you leave the river. I suggest if you are heading up to the meadow that you make sure you have plenty of water.

We hiked up 2.48 miles before deciding to turn around. The trail becomes a bit overgrown and hard on the legs and arms. We were planning on giong to the meadow, but bailed after we asked a hiker coming down how much further it was to the meadow. He estimated it was still a good 45 minutes and 1500 feet elevation gain. This was so different than we expected and were not prepared to go that far so we turned back…did I mention I dislike hiking in the heat?

All in all, I liked that much of this hike is in the shade, it is near the water, is dog-friendly and is easily accessible. The steep trail, no trail and amount of sweat I lost on this hike are another matter.

My watch stopped working, but we estimate we went 4.9 miles and gained around 1700 feet of elevation. This is a hike to take trekking poles, lots of water, shoes that can get wet, a swim suit if you choose to get in the water and a map.

As always, Happy Hiking!

Carri