Massive rains and flooding can do significant damage to the trail. However, the reason for Perry Lake's existence is flood control. The images below illustrate how quickly conditions can change after substantial rains.

At left, lake waters rising at Old Town bury parts of the park. This is lake elevation at about 900'. On right, looking west from Little Slough Creek Bridge on Ferguson Road. Lake waters completely cover the floodplain.

How quickly do floodwaters disperse into the main lake? Check out the image above from Slough Creek Bridge on Ferguson Road, looking west. The brown muddy waters from Slough Creek are flowing out into the open lake water.