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 Reporter |
Summary: The trail starts off on an old road and then climbs steadily through second-growth forest. There is a trail all the way around the lake. This hike is popular year-round, some people ice skate on the lake in winter. Trailhead: From I-5 take Exit 194/City Center/StevensPass and drive east 6 miles on Hwy 2. Go north on Hwy 9 and turn right on Hwy 92. Stay on Hwy 92 for 8 miles until you reach Granite Falls and turn left on the Mountain Loop Hwy. Drive 13 miles and turn right on Mount Pilchuck Road (FS 42) and go a little over 1 mile to the parking lot and trailhead. (Lat:48.0827 Lon:-121.77487) Trail Guides for Heather Lake Trail: Hiking Snohomish County by Ken Wilcox (Northwest Wild Books) Pacific Northwest Hiking by Ron C. Judd & Dan A. Nelson (Foghorn Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Darrington Ranger District 425-259-7911 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Robbie Hochreiter, who has posted 24 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 8 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by ML on 11/15/2009 did this yesterday (11/14/09). first part of the trail is covered with lots of water, mud and occasional snow. careful on the slippery rocks. Starting from about half way up snow start to show up more consistently. Last part is covered with a consistent snow layer: the trail, the trees, everything. The lake is frozen and the area is a bit misty. 
Reviewed by Julian on 9/27/2009 We went up today (9/27/09) with a kid in a backpack. We're relatively enthusiastic weekend hikers, and while this hike was definitely on the easier side of Medium, it was about the right difficulty for the 25-pound handicap. Views along the trail proper are below average for a NW hike (no real vistas, just trees) and the trail was muddy in places, but nothing too bad. The lake itself was scenic, but it was crowded, so we had trouble finding a place for the kid to play. Luckily the end of September appears to be mostly bug-free. Overall, the lake view was nice, but there are much better hikes out there. I don't regret going by any means, but I probably won't be back.
Reviewed by Whit on 8/20/2009 16 August 2009... Great hike! Took the dogs and all had a good time. Like previous posters said there was some mud towards the end of the trail leading up to the lake. It wasn't too bad. The flies were really bad on the near side of the lake but there were no flies on the far side near the boulders. The water was beautiful and especially cold (colder than snow lake if you ask me). Super easy hike with a spectacular view around the lake.
Reviewed by Dee on 8/7/2009 Hiked on 08/06/09 with our 155lb S.Bernard.Specifically chose this trail to suit max 4-mile stamina of our pet. Trail was completely dry, the stream near the lake was perfect for water need. Trade off for cooler temps,hence no bugs, Mt.Pilchuk was fogged in, so no view none whatsoever. Though it's too short, good training for longer ones to come.
Reviewed by Dandelion on 7/5/2009 Hiked this trail on July 3, 2009. I would rate it a medium on the difficulty scale. Trail was snow-free, but quite muddy for the last quarter mile or so before the lake. The lake was quite nice, very clear water, but extremely buggy. We had planned on walking all the way around the lake and having a picnic lunch up there, but there were way too many bugs, even with bug spray. We stayed at the lake for only ten minutes or so. The hike to and from the lake is pretty uneventful - no real views or waterfalls or anything spectacular. I enjoyed it, but if looking to do another mountain lake hike, I would probably do Lake 22 again before this one.
Reviewed by PK on 7/2/2009 this was a nice hike, but I would rate it "medium", not "easy". 1100 ft elevation gain in 2 miles means mostly switchbacks and some butt-burning high stepping. Not for the under 7 yo kids or tiny pets. Altogether thorougly pleasant and a spectacular view at the end. Still some snow and mud at the very end on 7/1, and waaay too many non-biting flies. 
Reviewed by Aaron M. on 6/26/2009 From the Inland Empire area of Southern CA so used to hiking in confir forests. It was a very beautiful hike to be in as it's a little different than what I'm used to seeing. Had 2 friends with me. Trail started to get a little muddy towards the top as there's still snow as well as some hiking on snow(glad for the muddy footprint trail). We did some scrambling up the snow/rock slope on the south end of the lake to get a better view. Just as we were leaving it started to pour for a few mins. Our total actual hiking time was about 2hrs, but we did a lot of stopping and picture taking. Trail rating is pretty spot on. We wanted to do Pilchuck, but it was already 8pm and getting late. I would definately do this hike again
Reviewed by Roguetiger on 6/21/2009 Headed up there on Sat 20 June. Road was clear but washboarded up to the heather lake parking area. Weather was overcast but the rain had stopped. The first 1/2 of the trail was in good condition, the last half how ever was a little more rough than I expected. The trail was riddled with tripping hazards (mostly roots) which wasn't that big a deal but it was very muddy as well. Last 1/4 of trail or so started to get muddier and then finally I hit the remaining snow pack. It was patchy but you had to walk on the snow pack for the last 10 min or so of the trail. The lake was clear and beautiful. This was my first hike since I've lived in washington and it was a great experience. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Washington Hiking, Washington Trails, Washington Hikes, Snohomish County Hiking, Snohomish County Trails, Snohomish County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||