Edith Hansen Trail and Liberty Creek Trail Loop
8.4 mi
Distance
4 hrs 30 min
Time
terrain
1,277 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult loop trail in Liberty Lake Conservation Area. Beautifully forested, this hike offers woods, wildlife and a waterfall. Black bear and rattlesnake sightings have been reported in the 2019 season, so be prepared and respectful of wildlife in the area.
Getting Started
Entrance into The Liberty Lake County Park has a $2 entry fee. From there parking and facilities are available. There is also a beach and camping opportunities in the park. Once you get to the cedar grove, the trail switchbacks steeply. The waterfall is about 3 miles into the hike. Continue climbing for a short while before starting your descent to finish the loop.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Note: *Day use of the park is closed from now until the end of summer 2024 for renovation. There is parking up South Idaho Rd. at the ORV park and another large parking lot just past the ORV. The Zephyr Connector Trail at the second lot feeds right into the main loop*
The east side of the loop is beautiful and feels more like the forests of western Washington. The creek and waterfalls are great sights and the elevation gain burns the calories. The west side of the loop gets boring and drags on with long stretches of descent with much less interesting surroundings than the east side. It would be nice if this portion used switchbacks to add variety, but it just feels like a never ending path that gets your toes sore.
★
★
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Public Tracks
Liberty Lake Loop
Able to hike without traction devices today, although they are generally needed from first snow through April for packed ice on steep parts of the trail. From the beach I could see large rafts of Common Mergansers and Hooded Merganzers. From near Hughes’s Cabin saw a bald eagle.
