Gale River

Gale River Trail begins from the northeast corner of the parking lot. The first three miles or so of the trail continue at a gradual climb moving generally parallel to the North Branch of the Gale River. The Gale River Trail is generally well maintained and easy to follow but only occasionally marked by blue trail markers. Over the first three miles you'll have a series of water crossings to varying degrees. Depending on the season cross-ability may very significantly. The largest water crossing happens right around 2.05 miles from the trailhead. At 3.1 miles along the trail you'll reach a great lookout that looks along the North Branch of the Gale River and upwards towards North Twin Mountain. This is the only viewpoint along this trail. Great spot for a break before the trail starts to get steeper. As you continue along the trail after this lookout the incline gradually starts to increase. At 3.65 miles the incline increase even further to a challenging series of rock steps that continue to the end of the trail- the meetup with Garfield Ridge Trail.