Crosier Mountain Garden Gate Trail (#931)

The Garden Gate trailhead is about two miles west of Drake along the south side of Hwy 43. It's a small trailhead with room for six to eight vehicles and no restrooms. Access the trail through a small gate which takes you up a small stepped hill to the right. At the top of this hill is a sign of the area, including a trail map for the mountain. Beyond this sign, the trail meanders through a wide open meadow, sometimes full of wildflowers, with expansive views of the river valley. It is very beautiful, and the climb through the meadow isn't too hard. As you get towards the top of the meadow and enter the forest the trail continues like this for the first 1/4 mile or so under the canopy of the forest. Then suddenly, the personality of this trail changes drastically! The grade becomes quite steep, and the rocky sections become bigger and more rugged. Around the middle of the trail is a very large mountain meadow that is very picturesque. The trail grade here is mellow and the grade is great in either direction and especially downhill. Beyond the meadow, however, get ready for more steep grades and big rocks. Again near the top, the grade mellows and the hiking is great. This trail can be used to access the summit of the mountain, where spectacular views await. Near the top is an intersection with the summit spur, Crosier Mountain Summit Trail (#931-1) - a steep ~1/2 mile climb - and the Crosier Mountain Glen Haven Trail (#931-2), which can be used to hike down into the town of Glen Haven. This trail doesn't see a whole lot of traffic, which is another part of the allure.