Frog Lake

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There are 4 trip reports for this hike.

Frog Lake — Aug 26, 2012 — Yameuh17

Day hike

Features: Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries

Issues: Blowdowns | Overgrown | Mudholes | Bugs

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The trail head for Frog Lake is about 4 miles down the Mountain Loop Highway heading out of Darringt...

The trail head for Frog Lake is about 4 miles down the Mountain Loop Highway heading out of Darrington. It is right before the Clear Creek bridge. The trail starts out climbing up a hill above clear creek. There are nice views of the creek below. It keeps on going and is overgrown in some spots. After a little while it meets with Forest Road 2060 then turns left into a swampy area that is very muddy. There were bobcat and cougar prints in the mud. The trail follows along the road and is very overgrown in some areas. It comes up to a couple of bridges along the way, they were a little old but no big deal. Later the trail meets up with a road that leads to Frog lake.

On the road heading towards Frog Lake there were many tiny frogs jumping everywhere. Once at the lake there are a lot of tiny frogs on the shore and in the water. There are a lot of bugs including dragonflies at the shore of the lake. The lake is nice and scenic even though there is some noticeable litter in the lake, including a tire and some beer cans yikes! The trail is a short hike and overall easy. There was no one else I noticed on the trail.

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Frog Lake — Dec 05, 2011 — geezerhiker

Day hike

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This was a desperation hike after being frustrated at Segelsen Ridge. I could not find the new trai...

This was a desperation hike after being frustrated at Segelsen Ridge. I could not find the new trail I was seeking. As I drove higher on NF-18, I encountered packed snow and ice with a berm on the sides of the road. There was no road to the left a mile past where the Internet directions stated, so when I found a place to turn around, I took it.

Curious about Frog Lake, I headed south from Darrington on Mtn. Loop Hwy. and parked immediately before the Clear Creek Bridge at the large pullout on the right. The unsigned trail goes up the hill next to the creek. A mile later and 400' higher, turn left at the road where you can see the lake. I discovered that you can drive to Frog Lake on NF-2060, but it's more fun to hike up the trail.

The most interesting part of the hike was the ice patterns on the lake. I think I might try this trip as a snowshoe hike when there is snow in Darrington this winter.

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Frog Lake #659 — Apr 21, 2002 — Mina&Co.

Day hike

Issues: Blowdowns | Mudholes | Washouts | Water on trail | Overgrown

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An old abandoned trail with lots of charm, the old Frog Lake Trail wins the prize for early-season ...

An old abandoned trail with lots of charm, the old Frog Lake Trail wins the prize for early-season hiking to make you feel remote even though you're barely out of town. No sign at the trailhead any more, just look uphill on the north side of the Clear Creek Bridge on the Mtn. Loop Hwy just south of Darrington (direcly across from the Clear Creek Campground). Snow free.

Lots of blowdown, overgrown, even one spot where silt completely obscures the trail. The good news is you'll feel like the first person to discover an ancient trail, and solitude (from hikers) is virtually guaranteed. The downside is that at several points the upper portion the trail runs just a few yards below the road, even meeting the road at a switchback. So you may hear or see some vehicles. There's a mix of some old-growth and lots of 2nd growth forest, and in Spring a lot of skunk cabbage, wild rose and trillium. Bogs, logs, mud and brush!

Check out my photos at: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jspm=30397669303&n=71289598

Trail starts in a steep climb into the notch canyon above Clear Creek, clinging to the edge of a hundred-foot precipice over roaring rapids. Wonderful!

Next it traverses over some hummocky terrain, the highlight of which is a log ""bridge"" over a chasm. Forest Service was good and installed new cleats and a wire-rope handrail sometime in the last 10 years since I was here. Then you come to the point where silt has covered the trail entirely... stay to the right as you cross the flood-plain and you'll find the trail again.

Ultimately it ends up dumping you out on the spur road to Frog Lake, which, after a turnaround, becomes an old track through the woods that eventually peters out in many spur trails around the south side of the lake. Very dense underbrush. Evidence of a variety of Homo Sapiens known as the ""Beer-Drinking Shotgun Shooter"" at the lake.

All-in-all a wonderful couple of afternoon miles spent in the wet woods. Look for many types of lichens! Wear your GoreTex pants so you can easily crawl under things, and while you're on your hands and knees, observe the forest floor microcosm.

pfitech@seanet.com

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Frog Lake #659 — May 25, 2001 — Woodchopper

Day hike

Issues: Clogged drainage | Washouts | Overgrown

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No snow and no people. A perfect spring hike. The trail is snow free but not bushy free. Although t...

No snow and no people. A perfect spring hike. The trail is snow free but not bushy free. Although the tread is well defined, it is, in places, obscured by dense foliage. Next time I will bring a weedwhacker. All but one of the bridges appear to have been built before Pearl Harbor. Remarkably I failed to see anyone or hear a truck (a gravel road is never to far to the north). This little used trail will be a joy to those that thrive on adventure but lack adequate spirit for a real expedition. At Frog Lake, I relished in the redolent forest and the many conversations among the birds. One question: where are the frogs'

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