The Heather Lake trail is a scenic little lake and a great day hike that is a one and a half hour drive outside of Seattle. One of the first stops along the Mountain Loop highway, it is one lake in a chain in this area. It is also a very popular hike. So, if this is on your hiking list, and it should be, consider going during the week and early in the morning.
Location
The Heather Lake Trail is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the parking lot can be found along the Mount Pilchuck access road. The road is a forest road that is mostly dirt. It is pretty well maintained with some larger potholes to watch out for. This area fills up quickly on the weekends and late morning during the week, so keep that in mind when planning your hike.
The Heather Lake trailhead can be found next to the information sign and the main trail is pretty obvious.
Permits for parking at the Heather Lake trail
Parking here requires a Northwest forest pass or America the Beautiful pass hanging in your window.
Facilities at the Heather Lake Trailhead
In the parking lot there is a toilet. There is nowhere to fill up water and no garbage cans, so practice Leave no Trace and pack out what you pack in.
Hiking the Heather Lake Trail
This is considered a moderate day hike, but it will definitely get your heart rate up. Starting at the trailhead, the lake is a 2 mile round trip trek, with the addition of doing a full loop around the lake, which is a short distance of about a mile. I highly recommend doing the loop along the series of boardwalks to get different perspectives of this beautiful hike.
Heather Lake is at a lower elevation than some of its neighboring lakes, like Lake Twenty Two, which is one of my favorite hikes. The elevation gain over those 2 miles is approximately 1,200 feet and though parts of the trail are fairly flat, for the most part you will encounter a lot of tree roots and lots of rocks. So make sure to wear good boots or solid hiking shoes to avoid injury.
But make sure to look around you, even though most of your attention will be on navigating those rocks and roots because this great hike has some stunning forest. Once an old-growth forest with huge rotting stumps, now has some second-growth forest with those tree trunks becoming nurse logs covered in moss and new life. It’s a little quieter here, especially early in the morning, compared to some other hikes that are closer to busy roads like I-90.
The struggle up is well worth it because the lake is stunning. It is a good destination to go for a swim and spend the day relaxing. Though keep in mind that at certain points in the season, mosquitos and horseflies are definitely in the area. In the summer the water temperatures are still cool but the perfect way to cool off after the slog up.
It is also the perfect place to hike with your dog and they enjoy a good swim after the hike too.
Concluding Thoughts
If you are looking for a stunning view but don’t want to go to Granite Falls, this is the perfect place to spend a day. You can also add this to your list of winter hikes and explore the area surrounded by snow capped mountains and because it is at a lower elevation, this one is more accessible during the winter.
For more details make sure to check out the Washington Trails Association and if you are interested in other hikes within 60 miles of Seattle, check out the Tiger Mountain 3 loop trail.
