This was kind of a long drive for me so I was hoping it would be worthwhile. The hike is not very long, 5.5 miles round-trip but it has the main thing I like about hikes — a destination, a payoff at the end. Near the end of the hike, there’s a view of some strange looking cliffs, where there’s a hole and a bridge that are uncommon in the area.
The cliffs weren’t all that exciting to me to be honest, but the hike as a hole was very enjoyable. It begins with a fairly steep descent of about 200 feet and then leads to the first of 18 creek crossings (9 each way). Most of the crossings were dry, but the first time I attempted this hike the first crossing was like a raging river so I decided not to go any further.
There were parts of the trail that were very overgrown but somehow the bugs were not an issue which was a nice plus!
There was not much wildlife, aside from many of the creeks having abundant fish chilling on the smooth rocks. The trail was much more heavily trafficked than the ones I normally visit, so stepping to the side to let people pass was a pretty common occurrence but not so common that it took away from the enjoyment of the hike.
On the way back out, the hill going back up seemed a lot steeper than I remembered coming down. Overall I really enjoyed this hike and would like to come back sometime when it’s fall or winter (but a warmer day since there’s water to be crossed) to see if there’s a better view of the cliffs. You can actually go up on the cliffs but there’s signs warning of the danger. One even said you’d die if you fell which I would believe because it’s a long way down.
The Window Cliffs are worth visiting, even if getting there feels like you’re driving through someone’s personal property. The road goes between two barns and just feels like you’re invading someone’s personal space but it IS an actual road. The parking lot is gravel and has ample parking. No pets allowed on the trail.
