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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 7 Submit your own review 
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.
Reviewed by Dave on 6/15/2009 This was my first hike since moving to Washington about 2 weeks ago. I hiked it on June 13th and started the hike at about 8am so the parking lot and trail were pretty much empty. Since this was my first hike, I wasn't sure what I was in for and I was pleasantly surprised. The trail was fairly easy to follow except when I got towards the end. At this point the trail was covered with snow and there weren't many tracks to follow. I amde a few guesses and made it to the lake with no problems. This being my first mountain lake, it was a breathtaking sight. I enjoyed every bit of this hike and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good hike with a great payoff at the end. I will be doing this one again.
Reviewed by Alex on 6/8/2009 Great hike. There are several parts that are quite muddy so be prepared to get a little dirty. Still snowy on top (probably the last 20 minutes of hiking) so be sure to wear waterproof boots and bring a warm jacket. The lake and surrounding mountains are breathtaking. The hike is harder than "Easy" but not hard enough to be "Medium". It took us about 2.5 - 3 hours to do the round trip.
Reviewed by Alex on 6/8/2009 Error: Reserved Word Found: --
Reviewed by Bryan L. on 5/24/2009 I took a group of young men up with several other adult leaders. The trail was in good condition and well marked for most of the way. About the last 1/3 of a mile, the trail was covered with several feet of snow. Still we were able to find the lake without any difficulty. Lake was entirely surrounded by snow and about half of the lake was still frozen over. Several falls were cascading off the surrounding mountains and looking up high on the WEST side of the lake, above the outlet, were a couple of mountain goats that at first looked like snow patches. Great hike though it was VERY popular that day. Upon leaving we also noticed several cars were given notices for NOT having their Northwest Trail Pass.
Reviewed by tt on 5/19/2009 Went on this hike last week with a friend and my one-year old daughter. I carried her up in a baby backpack and it was pretty easy with a few breaks here and there. Even though it was not raining the sno is melting off the trees so bring a jacket. When you get to the top there is still at least 8 feet of snow. It was beautiful and well worth getting hit in the head with melting snow! 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||