Spruce Run Lake: trailhead to lake distance

[sarably]

We hiked the Spruce Run Lake trail in July 2016. Nice hike though probably not as pretty as during wildflower season. (Don't expect great views at the lake!)

We found the 2.4 mi distance in the write-up misleading when starting from the Spruce Creek Lake trailhead near the campground and ending at the lake. We often hike 2.4 miles and this took considerably longer (as confirmed by another hiker on the trail.) On the return, we tracked it on our generally reliable Fitbits and logged more like 3.5-3.7 miles one way.

Also the trail markers about 2 miles into the hike were somewhat confusing. (Another site's description says "The trail to your right heads left towards an obscure forest road.") In fact, you want to take the right fork to the lake.

To continue to the lake, take the right fork here.

[pdxgene]

The printout i have from the Dept of Forestry says 2.4 miles also.. I've only done it once and yeah it seemed longer but that generally happens for me if it's a pretty big hill and that one is. I could've sworn I had it in a book write up somewhere too but I can't find it.
Sadly if it wasn't for that 'obscure forest road' the lake would be a lot cleaner. Or that's how I found it a couple years ago at least..

[bobcat]

Thanks, sarably. I will make amendments to the Field Guide as per your suggestions.

[matimeo]

We hiked to the lake from the campground on 8/19/16 (last Friday) and I recorded the track there and back on my phone using the Backcountry Navigator app, which I think is usually pretty accurate. I logged 3.2 miles to the lake, but that included going down and walking along the "shore" of the "lake". The hike back I started from the lake until we got back to the trailhead sign, and it logged 3.0 miles exactly. So the description definitely sells this hike short in terms of miles.

It is a very steep hike, with almost constant climbing or descending. I had kids with me, the youngest being six and he needed a lot of help to be able to get up and down the hills without sliding. There were plenty of falls and scraped knees.

And boy, was that lake disappointing. I'd heard others say it had been drained, or that it dried up. Does it fill up with water during the wetter months or is it always just a marshy area?