"Started at Visitor Center, used those trails to gain some elevation, then went off and up to Dragonfly Overlook, Mally Peak, Harris and South Harris. Definitely some brushy areas getting to Dragonfly, long pants recommended. Some snow, at a few points I sank to my knees, but mostly not that deep. Used microspikes about 1/3 of the hike, especially getting to Dragonfly. Less snow on ridges. Couldn't find the peak register or cairn for Harris - may be buried in snow, but found US geological marker. Very pleasant ridge to South Harris. Tried a slightly different route back down to Visitor Center trails from Dragonfly, but it was no better. Seems best to try to follow a ridge or gully up and down. Pace felt slow due to route finding, bush whacking, avoiding snowy areas, and putting microspikes on and off. " — tracyt • Mar 11, 2026

"I've been wanting to try this route to Harris for a while now, but the idea of bushwhacking didn't entice me, so I kept putting it off. Well, today was the day. Ritch and I started from across the roundabout from the Spring Mountain Visitor Center, hiked onto the Packrat Trail, then the Escarpment Trail before breaking off to attempt the potential break in the cliffs. Luckily, it did go through, so we saved a bit of trail walking. Once above the cliffs, we tried to make our way to the ridge I had planned to go up, but it was too difficult to get to, so we chose another steep ridge. The brush was thick & painful, but passable without a machete. Once on the ridgeline, the brush was much more manageable. We made our way along the ridge, stopping at Dragonfly Overlook and Mally Peak along the way. Instead of returning the same way, we opted for a more direct route down to the road. It started out steep, but ok. It never got BAD, but it wasn't good until we hit pavement at the campground. We hiked through the campground, then took a series of trails back to the Visitor Center, then our car. It was a hot, humid, tiring day." — Kevin • Aug 14, 2021