The Tonahutu Trail arcs 13 miles from the North Inlet Trailhead to Flattop Mountain on the Continental Divide. While few tackle the Tonahutu in its entirety, many use it to access Big Meadows, an expansive tract that supports large numbers of elk and moose.

Bull moose antlers begin growing in the spring, and reach full size by late summer

The June 2013 Big Meadows fire burned over 600 acres, but the meadows themselves were largely unaffected

The Tonahutu Creek headwaters form about 7 miles west of Big Meadows

Wild, edible raspberries grow well on moist stream banks, emerging in late August and lasting through mid-fall

The cool, dark forests along Tonahutu Creek produce a variety of mushrooms, which should never be assumed safe to eat

Asters' tubular flowers have both a pistil and stamen, while the ray flowers are usually sterile

Moose have high reproductive potential, and can quickly overpopulate if not limited by predation, hunting or natural weather cycles

Blueberries require more acidic soil than wild raspberries and strawberries

Red elderberry's stems, bark, leaves and roots contain cyanide-producing toxins, but berries may be consumed after cooking

Looking north up Tonahutu Creek on the approach to Big Meadows

Recent DNA evidence supports the spilt of the Blue Grouse into two separate species - Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse

View of the Mummy Range from the Tonahutu Creek meadow corridor

The Tonahutu Trail continues around the north side of Big Meadows en route to Granite Falls and Flattop Mountain

Pine beetles affect trees by laying eggs under the bark, introducing a fungus that reduces overall resistance and blocks water and nutrient transport