Trini,
Great trip report and welcome to this group of hot spring LOVERS.
To get to the freedom trail do this ; About 100 yards before the Bowen ranch is a gate on the right. This is JF4, go 1.7 miles and turn left go about another 100 yards and stay left. Go about .5 or one half of a mile. There is a large nearly flat parking area here you can park and hike south east toward a hill with small boulders. Beyond there is a path with a simi steep incline. It is about .4 of a mile to the same trail that you were on before. The total hike is 1.2 miles.The thing about this hike is this, it is a 1000 foot diference in elevation. That is the same amount of elevation change as the Bowen ranch hike which is a 2.2 mile hike. A great way to get in shape.
See yall later.