We were going to go snowshoeing at Rat Trap Pass, but FS Road 23 was totally impassable due to snow so we opted to hike the near-by Beaver Lake trail instead. There's still a lot of snow Darrington, so hiking/snowshoeing options in the area were limited.

The Mountain Loop Highway is plowed and snow free from Darrington all the way to Beaver Lake trail head. The parking area at the trail head has about 8 inches of snow and you could get stuck if you don't have 4 wheel drive. Even with 4WD I was slipping and sliding all over the place while I was parking the car. If you don't have 4WD I recommend parking on the side of the Mountain Loop Highway and staying out of the parking area all together because you'll get stuck if you go in there right now.

The trail is flat and easy to follow, but there are a lot of blow downs that you have to crawl over or under. The middle span of the bridge across Beaver Lake has been destroyed by a tree that fell on it. If you're careful you can still get across by crawling over the tree and the destroyed portion of the bridge, but it's kind of sketchy. I wouldn't take a dog or a small child across that bridge.

Eventhough the trail is covered in snow. I would not recommend skis or snowshoes (but I did see ski and snowshoe tracks). The trail is tromped down good enough that you can walk around in regular boots with no trouble, and I would think having skis or snowshoes on your feet would make it more difficult to negotiate all of the blowdowns that you will encounter on this trail. I had poles and mikrospikes with me, but did not use them.

There are some good views of Mt. Pugh and Mt. Forgotten from the trail, and there's even a good view of White Chuck Mountain from the trailhead. There's also lots of places where you can go off the trail and access the Sauk River. I suspect that this trail is more fun with the snow than it is in the summer. It looks like the kind of place that would be mosquito city without the snow and ice.

Nice, easy hike today up to the beaver dams at Beaver Lake. There was no snow to be seen anywhere on the way to the trailhead or on the trail itself. The trail was quite muddy in a few spots though so be prepared for gross shoes afterwards. We walked right past the "lake" not realizing it was not a large, open lake, but a lake full of trees and the beaver dams. It also wasn't as long at the hike suggests. Even with us passing the lake and going to the end of the trail we only logged 3.5 miles round trip. Maybe we missed something. Either way it was a nice, easy walk. Hardly any elevation change at all makes this a easy trail. The river was flowing fast and was so peaceful. 

The hike made for nice walk in the rainy woods this morning. We were the only ones out the whole couple hours we were there far as we could tell. There were a couple patches of old slush at the side of the trail near the trailhead but otherwise no snow. Puddles, mud, and a few small trees down were the only obstacles on the trail and were easy to negotiate. One washout of the trail as it came alongside the river was the biggest challenge and still was not too problematic. Be mindful of continuing erosion of the trail.

Views of the Sauk River and some very impressive trees, mosses, and fungi graced our way to the lake. Saw a few dams and lodges; no critters out while we passed through. Too rainy/cloudy for much in the way of mountain views.

A Note on Passes: The WTA entry says no pass needed; the board at the trailhead noted that a NW Forest Pass was needed "on many trails" on the Mountain Loop...but didn't specify about Beaver Lake specifically. We put ours up just in case.

We hit the Beaver Lake trail on our way out of Darrington on a weekday. It was a fun little trail that snakes along the Sauk River and we only saw one other person on a run with their dog. It was overcast and foggy that day so we didn't see any of the famed mountain peaks, but the fog in the hills was beautiful. There are parts of the trail that were wet, but the ground wasn't soft enough to worry about your boots sinking in. 

The beaver ponds are really cool and you can definitely see the different layers of beaver dams that have flooded the forest floor. There were a few beaver forts but no fresh beaver marks on trees so we questioned whether the beavers were in residence while we were there. The bridge over the ponds makes for a very cool photo opp. Watch out for the uneven planks though. It is safe, but will make you swallow your stomach if you are looking up at the trees and step down one without noticing!

Our trip odometer registered the trail one-way at 1.72 miles, not quite the 4.2 out and back that is reported. The trail ends at an elevated river bank and you can see a tall gravel slide to the left in the distance.

This was a very lovely day hike. Barely any incline however; which makes it a little easier if the leaves are slippery but a little less challenging of a workout. Beautiful views and a perfect winter hike. No snow on the trail; just a couple of slippery patches on the wooden bridges and the leaves might get icy/slick. Highly recommend for a 2-2.5 hour day hike in the winter!