Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books Goat Lake
Featured In:
Day Hiking: North Cascades,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. From the noisy trailhead thanks to roaring Elliott Creek, two trails heading for Goat Lake diverge. The lower trail offers a slightly shorter more interesting route along the creek and through old growth than the upper trail, which follows an old logging road lined with alders. The upper trail, however, is easier to travel and offers some nice views. The lower trail is prone to slides. The upper trail is the safer bet. Follow this good, at times slightly rocky, path as it moderately gains elevation. In 1 mile (elev. 2200 ft), the Chokwich Creek Trail takes off left to reach the Bedal Creek Trail in 2.5 miles. Continue to the right through thinning forest with good glimpses of the Elliott Creek valley and out to Sheep Mountain. Cross numerous cascading streams and at about 3 miles begin a slight descent, meeting up with the lower trail at 3.5 miles (elev. 2650 ft). The old logging road the trail has been using soon ends, and you enter a cool, mature forest of humongous cedars. At 4.5 miles cross a braided stream and enter the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. The trail now climbs, hugging a high bank of Elliott Creek and heading along a washed-out streambed. Plenty of notched cedar stumps stand testament to the human activity that once flourished in this area. Where the trail makes a sharp left turn, look right to see cedar puncheon (planking) of the original wagon road that serviced the area. The old mining town was located across the creek from this spot. Nothing remains of the bridge, however, so exploring the townsite may not be feasible. Continue up the trail to explore Goat Lake. As you near the lake, magnificent McIntosh Falls forces you to take a break. After marveling at the cascading waters, reach the lake. Pass the camping area and head straight for the day-use area located just beyond a brushy meadow. Cast your eyes across the rippling waters to snow-capped Cadet Peak hovering above. A primitive path continues a short way along the lake's eastern shore, offering better views of that prominent peak that lured more than its fair share of past fortune seekers.
Driving Directions:
From Granite Falls follow the Mountain Loop Highway east for 31 miles to Barlow Pass and the end of the pavement. Continue for 3.5 miles, turning right onto Forest Road 4080. (From Darrington the turnoff is 19.5 miles along the Mountain Loop Highway.) Follow FR 4080 for 0.8 mile to the road end and trailhead for Elliott Creek Trail No. 647 (elev. 1900 ft). Recent Trip Reports
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Heather Lake, Mount Dickerman, Mount Pilchuck, Goat Lake, Boardman Lake, Coal Lake, Big Four Ice Caves, Ashland Lakes, Monte Cristo #143
— Aug 29, 2011
— ForestPatrolDeputy
Day hike
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Vehicle break-ins are occurring on an irregular basis,coinciding with the presence of valuables (car stereos with their removable face-plates...
Vehicle break-ins are occurring on an irregular basis,coinciding with the presence of valuables (car stereos with their removable face-plates in them,GPS units and Satelite Radios on the dash on console,binoculars,high-end sunglasses,garage door openers (along with your registration makes for easy home access at a later time)wallets,purses,and other bags with enclosed,unknown contents (put the contents out where they can be seen if they cannot be completely locked in the trunk (not a vehicle with a retractable or roll-top type trunk lid. With a flashlight it is very easy to see items stored inside through the cracks/openings around the edges of them.
BRING ONLY THOSE ITEMS WITH YOU THAT YOU INTEND TO PACK WITH YOU ON YOUR HIKE! LEAVE THE REST AT HOME FOR THE DAY. 4-Day weekends (LABOR DAY THIS COMING WEEKEND) and sunny days attract more of the criminal types. Follow the above suggestions and you WILL have a safe, and care-free day in the forest. Enjoy you outing and visit us again soon.
Lake Twentytwo - Lake 22, Goat Lake, Twin Falls, Gold Basin Mill Pond Interpretive Trail
— Aug 22, 2011
— mnelsen44
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Insanely beautiful I visit often and I'd say best time to hike this trail
When we got there a car had...
Insanely beautiful I visit often and I'd say best time to hike this trail
When we got there a car had been broken into talked to the people then continued on our way thinking they would not dare come back a second time once the police found out... Way wrong came back to find my window smashed and belongings strewn everywhere. They also came back while the fist break in victims walked to find help and took the rest of their belongings Don't regret visiting lake twenty two today though... So beautiful! Day hike
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Finally did Goat. Arrived at trail head at 09:00am with Hank and Sam (my canines). Very easy to find. Passed...
Finally did Goat. Arrived at trail head at 09:00am with Hank and Sam (my canines). Very easy to find. Passed Mt. Pugh trailhead on the way, which will be a future stop along the Mountain Loop Highway. Maybe 10 vehicles at the Goat trailhead already. Not bad for a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. An unusually nice bathroom at the trailhead. Took the Upper Elliot Creek trail on the ascent. Nice, gradual, easy 4.5 miles. A few small creeks along the way, most of them dry. Great trail for dogs, especially smaller pooches. A few good views, but pretty mediocre, easy-going stuff. From that point up to the lake are some switchbacks with decent elevation gain. Some quality, gushing falls before arriving at Goat Lake. The lake is nice. Beautiful snow-capped peaks as backgrop. To be honest, the lake was not as large nor as majestic as I had imagined based on descriptions I've read. But nice. Explored around the lake for a 1/2 mile or so, didnt push all the way around. Had a quick lunch at a great spot along the shore in solitude. Took the Lower Elliot on the descent. A nice treat on the way down, a second "payoff", really, and a great way to diversify the hike. Elliot Creek is a gorgeous, gushing river now. Great sights and sounds on the way back to the trailhead. Saw a fair amount of parties on the way up and down, all ages, but didn't feel crowded at all. Parking lot was PACKED at 01:00pm (I was moving at a pretty brisk pace up and down). Glad I've finally done Goat. A mild hike but still a good sweat after 10-11 miles. Had no issues with bugs and had forgotten repellant. For a moderately avid hiker in pretty good shape it's easy street. But a pleasant, adequate one at that.
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns
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My 9-year-old son and I ventured to Goat Lake to try our hand at a 10 1/2 miler. The...
My 9-year-old son and I ventured to Goat Lake to try our hand at a 10 1/2 miler. The trail was in good condition with only a couple of areas with water over the trail. We took the lower trail in and the upper out so that we could see everything the trail had to offer.
A few blowdowns and a rock slide on the upper trail. Easy to pass. Overall conditions were great. Could have done without the bugs, but other than that, a great hike! Check out my entire review with pictures at http://livinthehikelife.blogspot.com/2011/08/goat-lake.html Day hike
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For this hike, I took the Upper Elliott Creek Trail on the way to the lake and the Lower Elliott...
For this hike, I took the Upper Elliott Creek Trail on the way to the lake and the Lower Elliott Creek Trail on the way back. Both trails were in great condition.
After the two trails join together, there was only one muddy spot. There is one dry stream crossing where the trail has been washed away. Simply look for the cairns and you'll know exactly where to go. Just before reaching the lake, there is a very short section of trail that is getting quite overgrown because of the full sunlight it receives. My one suggestion before heading out on this trail would be to do a little research about the area's mining history. The creek, the lake, the mountains, and the trees are all interesting to look at, but knowing the history makes the hike even more enjoyable. |
Cadet Peak above Goat Lake. Photo by Dave Frazee.
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Lower Trail
Also at the lake do not stop at the beginning, A trail follows the left side along most of the lake. The views of Cadet Peak get a lot better and Foggy Peak comes into view, too. There are some nice rocks along the lake shore to relax on and You will pass under some awesome waterfalls. Many people hike to the other side of the lake and explore the basin below the mountain. Just do not get too close to the slopes because of avy concerns.