Blue Heron Loop Trail

The outdoor museum consists of several open air buildings, each with their own theme in this mining community. For more information, check out the Guide to the Blue Heron Community. The beginning of the hike has a lot of climbing! There are a lot of stairs both rock and wood. This was the hardest part of the hike. The first spur is the Blue Heron Overlook Trail. It's a short distance and well worth the extra mileage. The view is spectacular. Back on the Loop trail the climb is over and the hiking levels off. There are two more overlooks. Each one has beautiful views! The trail starts to head back down towards the river. On the way, you'll see many huge rocks. There are a few overhangs that you can eat lunch under. Before the last set of stairs down, you'll come across a large vein of coal. You can see the entrances to some old mines. The trail then winds is way along the river back to the parking lot. If you have time, there is an old railroad bridge that connects the tipple to the trail on the other side of the river. It's been converted into a pedestrian bridge and is quite sturdy.