Devils Punchbowl

What a wonderful hike and an incredibly meaningful and surreal journey if you grab your self a copy of Dante's Inferno (I prefer the Ciardi translation out of all the ones I've read) and stop every so often and read a few Canto's before journeying down a bit further. Really interesting to hear silence then water rushing at a distance then silence then water rushing a bit louder... This hike and reading Inferno while doing so really not only provides some interesting realizations about why Dante' wrote The Divine Comedy and it gives you a really wonderful life lesson as the trail descends into the bowl and then back up. The journey downward seems fast and a bit uncontrollable... Getting to a low point can feel this way at times the journey from this low point back up can feel like a struggle, but when you get back to another peak you just KNOW it was worth it and you have that sense of pride. Of all the hikes I've partaken of, this one has the most meaning for me - adding in Dante's Inferno traversing down and around would be surreal even if it wasn't named "Devil's Punchbowl". Look forward to spending a day hiking Devil's Chair in the future. Restrooms: Ample restrooms - believe there was 3 at the parking lot ranger station and kudos to the staff - they were clean when I arrived 1st thing in the morning - they were clean when I left around early afternoon Dog-friendliness: Saw many people with their furry friends hiking down and back up. Just remember it does go down and up so some areas might be sketchier then others - none of the dogs I saw walk past that I yielded for seem to have any challenges. I would gather your furry friend would need to be in good shape. Please assure to bring bags to pick up dog droppings and assure your furry friend doesn't scare the 2 crows they have on site atm! Picnic area: Picnic area is large. About 10-12 stone / concrete tables. Utilized it to write / draw / read for a bit after the hike.
Apr 20th, 2024

Underrated hike for sure
Feb 29th, 2024

Great hiking trails with various difficulty. Make sure to stop in at the ranger station. If you hike, make sure to sign in and out.
Dec 14th, 2023

Jul 24th, 2023

May 21st, 2023