Ampersand Mountain hike is a generally moderate hike that beginners can do also if they rest a lot. The hike itself is very popular and the parking lot is kind of small. There is only one viewpoint but it is rather big with a 270 degree view of the surrounding area. There are plenty of places to sit, enjoy the view and plenty of angles for photography as well. The views are amazing and highly recommended for people who love to look at nature.
Ampersand Mountain Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 5.8 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1,800 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
1 Mile Flat Terrain
1 Mile Going Up
1 Mile Steep Ascent
3 Miles Going Back Down
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
“Wrong way!” It was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the beautiful lake. There was no lake where I was going so seeing this beautiful lake in front of me meant that I was lost. I touched the cold and coarse sands with my finger tips as I washed my hands and face with the cold water of the lake. The waves would ebb and flow as the soothing winds would reach and caress my skin. I had this nice thought that I may as well enjoy the scenery and not waste the moment that fate had given me. So I stayed here for a few just admiring the lake and enjoying the winds before going back to the parking lot.
Trail Across The Road
The trail head was actually across the parking lot. It was a simple mistake that added 1-2 miles to my hike today but I enjoyed it so it was all good.
Trail Head
Ampersand Mountain Trail
Ampersand Mountain Trail Flat
Ampersand Mountain Trail Planks
Ampersand Mountain Trail Small Bridge
Ampersand Mountain Trail Going Up
It was the start of the ascent of the hike. The flat trail was gone, and the only trails left were going upwards. It was a footpath made out of soft soil that was very easy to traversed as I didn’t have to worry about tripping or watching where I needed to step, all I had to do was to keep walking upwards.
Ampersand Mountain Trail
Boulders and small rocks appeared on the footpath as I kept getting higher and higher. I walked as fast as I could but my body was too tired that a lot of hikers just passed me by. This was the second straight day that I hiked and my body had not fully recovered yet from the Mount Colden hike that I did yesterday. Still, I kept going upwards no matter how slow or how snail like I was moving.
Ampersand Mountain Trail Ascending
More rocks and boulders of different sizes appeared on the footpath as I tried my best to avoid them. The soft soil was better for the legs as the soil didn’t have as much impact nor pressure to the legs compared to walking on top of the boulders. If the footpath was muddy, I would be moving from one rock to the next but the soil was dry and a lot easier to traversed.
Ascending
More and more rocks appeared as I kept climbing up the mountain. Before I knew it, the whole trail was blanketed by rocks as far as my eyes could see. Even after moving up for some time or gaining more elevation, there were still plenty of rocks scattered everywhere. I sat on one as my legs couldn’t handle the hike anymore and just rested for a while.
Trail Ascending With Rock Stairs
The footpath became steeper and steeper the more elevation that I gained as I felt my body working hard just to keep going upwards. I took off my jacket only to realize that my shirt was soaking wet as I had been sweating profusely for hours now. I looked at the top of the trail to see a set of stairs that was obviously made by people and in that moment, I was a little bit grateful because it will make the hike a little bit easier.
Ampersand Mountain Trail Going Up
I found more stairs that were created by people as I kept hiking up the mountain. I often wondered how they got these big rocks and boulders up the mountain. Did people carry these rocks or some sort of machinery? The rocks were so perfectly aligned and so smooth that I did not believe that they came from the same mountain.
Trail
More going up
Ampersand Mountain Trail Almost At The Top
Light shined down upon me as I looked up and saw an opening to the top of the mountain. Bits and pieces of clouds passed by the opening which made me somewhat excited as I was almost at the top. It was the last ascent, I just need a few more steps and I could take a rest and leisurely enjoy the viewpoint.
Ampersand Mountain Top
Walking Up
Ampersand Mountain Lookout
Ampersand Mountain Views
Ampersand Mountain Top
Ampersand Mountain Vista
Ampersand Mountain Scenery
Ampersand Mountain Left Side
Ampersand Mountain Straight
Ampersand Mountain
Ampersand Mountain Scenery
Going Back Down
Rocky Trail Downwards
Going Back
Almost At The Bottom
End Of The Hike
