Hike—Elk Creek Trail

This is north of Rapid near Piedmont, off I-90 exit 44. A 7 mile hike if you go all the way to Dalton Lake, but we did a little over 4 miles total. It’s out and back following Elk Creek, and is considered easy to moderate.  It’s a nice wide trail in the first part and more of a hiking path farther up with a few spots where you have to maneuver small rocky inclines/descents.  But it’s a gradual grade almost all of the way. About 1 1/2 miles up there’s a fork in the path, one that goes up and the other that goes down along the creek.  It comes together again a ways up.  Either way is nice. Most of the trail is shaded which was great for this hot day. Very scenic.  We loved it.