Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books Boulder Lake
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Central Cascades,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. Beginning on a newly decommissioned road, walk 1.3 miles to the former trailhead. Then, as you walk an old logging road in a dank, dark, scrappy stand of hemlock, you'll likely not immediately see the hike's charm. Stick with it. Cross Boulder Creek on a big wide bridge, steadily climbing on old roadbed lined with alders. Eroded in spots, the old road makes a wide swing to angle back toward tumbling Boulder Creek. After about 1 mile the grade eases and real trail takes over. Real forest too - and views, as the way traverses the first of several open brushy slopes. On increasingly pleasant tread, begin switchbacking through an increasingly impressive forest of ancient giants. Some of the finest specimens of cedar, hemlock and Douglas-fir in all of western Washington can be found here in the Greider Ridge Natural Resources Conservation Area. Straddling the Puget Sound Convergence Zone (an area where prevailing winds split by the Olympic Mountains reconverge, causing updrafts that can lead to convection and abundant rainfall), this is one of the wettest spots in the Central Cascades. The area's 100 to 180 inches of annual rainfall favors fast - and big - growing trees. Witness too the excessive runoff and boggy areas along the trail. Good solid cedar puncheon, however, assures dry boots and minimal impact on these important and fragile plant communities. After brushing up alongside a small creek, the trail switchbacks once again, crosses said creek, and then traverses a gorgeous grassy bog. Boulder Creek soon comes into earshot before the trail swings away, switchbacking once again, albeit gently this time and through yet more magnificent old growth. At 5.1 miles reach the lake. Yellow cedar, mountain hemlock, and huckleberry grace its shores. Cross the outlet creek on a good bridge to grassy shores ripe for lounging. Stare across shimmering azure waters to rocky pinnacles peaking above boulder fields that slope into the lake. Pretty sign, huh? And a pretty nice place to spend the night too - did you check out those designated campsites? Recent Trip Reports
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Boulder Lake
— Aug 28, 2011
— allymoon
Overnight
Features:
Ripe berries
Issues:
Overgrown | Bugs
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This hike was more challenging that anticipated, but ended with a private hideaway tucked into the trees near a charming...
This hike was more challenging that anticipated, but ended with a private hideaway tucked into the trees near a charming little lake. The hike began with a long approach from the new trailhead to the old down a wide gravel road with gullies carved into it at regular intervals. This part is easy going, and seems short on the way up but long on the way back. When you get to the old trailhead the trail starts to climb gradually through cool, shady old growth forest. Once you've gained some elevation, the trail traverses the mountainside through thick underbrush. This is where the hike becomes very difficult. The trail is extremely overgrown and it was difficult at times to see where we were stepping on uneven ground. This part goes on for a half mile to a mile before you reenter old growth forest and begin the final climb to Boulder Lake.
The camping sites around the lake have fire pits are are well maintained. Bugs were a bit of a problem, but there were more flies than mosquitoes and with long sleeves and a bug net I was fine. We were also warned at the start of our hike that there was a nuisance bear in the area, but aside from some stripped off tree bark we saw no signs of bears along the way. Still, we took serious precautions including cooking our meal and a separate campsite and hanging all our food in a tree. There were no bear boxes at the lake that we found. I would also recommend bringing lots of water, because there were not many natural sources of water along the way where you can refill. All in all I would not recommend this trail for a day hike, but it was very worthwhile for an overnight. Boulder Lake is scenic and private and a great place to escape the crowds and really enjoy nature.
Boulder Lake
— Aug 27, 2011
— DEG
Overnight
Features:
Ripe berries
Issues:
Overgrown | Bugs
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My husband and I chose this hike as an inaugural backpacking hike for our very robust day-hiking 7-year old because...
My husband and I chose this hike as an inaugural backpacking hike for our very robust day-hiking 7-year old because our guidebook designated it as 'kid friendly.' We have since learned that the trail has been made longer (we estimate by about 2+ miles one way) due to the moving of the trailhead/parking area, and has not been maintained due to budget cuts in the DNR. About a mile of the trail was so overgrown with chest-high devil's club (face-high for our son) that it was nearly impassable. We wondered a few times if we hadn't somehow strayed off the path. It was quite challenging for us, and we were stunned that he was able to finish what amounted to about a 15-mile RT hike with steep climbs and impassable sections where one could not see one's own feet, let alone the trail. The mosquitos and flies at Boulder Lake were miserably thick - we had to resort to our DEET and wished we had had mosquito nets. We're avid backpackers but vowed this trail was not to be repeated. Too bad - the final destination is quite lovely.
Boulder Lake
— Jun 18, 2011
— Zachary Oliver
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Clogged drainage | Overgrown | Mudholes | Water on trail | Snow on trail | Road to trailhead inaccessible
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Hiked to Boulder Lake near Index today. The trail is accessed via Sultan Basin Road to Spada Lake. What is...
Hiked to Boulder Lake near Index today. The trail is accessed via Sultan Basin Road to Spada Lake. What is described as a 10.2-mile round-trip hike has recently been extended to roughly 13 miles round trip. Patches of snow were encountered just above 3,000' with solid snow a couple hundred vertical feet beneath the lake. The path is fairly easy to follow with a little route finding near its terminus.
Boulder Lake
— Aug 15, 2010
— Lady Bug
Day hike
Features:
Ripe berries
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I was extremely disappointed in the changes DNR and Everett have made in the trail. The trail now startes...
I was extremely disappointed in the changes DNR and Everett have made in the trail. The trail now startes at Site 4 on Spada Lake. That is not the bad part. The bad part is they have dug over 50 "divits" in the road so now a person has to go up and down all the divits. Some aren't bad but most are over five feet deep. I understand trying to protect the watershed; however, there comes a time when too much is just too much. I spoke to one of the watershed rangers and he said that DNR is trying to keep people out completely. That is outrageous. This used to be a beautiful hike and now the first part is ruined. I would not have minded walking the old road, but the divits are unnecessary. Just put up good gates if you must, but don't make it a major confidence course just to get to the trail head.
Boulder Lake
— Apr 17, 2010
— HikerKev
Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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We decided to make a Bike trip to the trailhead since the Sultan Basin Road is closed at Olney Pass...
We decided to make a Bike trip to the trailhead since the Sultan Basin Road is closed at Olney Pass until fishing season. A long bike trip but we were up for an adventure. After crossing all the spots where the DNR has dug up the road from Grieder lake TH to Boulder Lake TH, we were tired of those things. The hike to the lake is not too steep but we encountered snow that got too deep, 3+ feet, just shy of the last ascent to the lake. Feeling defeated and with squishy shoes, we made our way back down to the TH and grunted out the 8+ mile ride back to the truck.
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Boulder Lake. Photo by a Friend of a Mushroom Hunter.
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