This is a great toddler hike: shaded, flat, smooth tread, freshly cleared (thank you WASU!), easy drive on paved road only. Beaver "lake" is really a marsh. Hundreds of tadpoles swimming under the bridge at the "lake" were super fun to watch. Easy 4ft climb (with assistance) down to the sandbar at the end of the trail, but not much shade down there so we didn't linger on this hot muggy day. There are some nettles but we avoided them easily. Biting flues were bad but didn't seem to phase my 2yo. Only saw one other family on the trail on a Thursday. Berries on the trail are just finishing up.

Hiked this trail for the first time on the 16th of July with my girlfriend, it actually was a last resort hike, we had planned on hiking Lake 22 but the trail head was packed, as was Monte Cristo. We drove the Mtn. Loop Hwy. and pulled into Beaver Lake because the trail head was empty. The hike was fairly level and easy, there were a few spots where you have to be careful not to slip or fall but other than that it turned out to be a very nice hike with some awesome views and beautiful old growth cedars. The only downside to this hike was that the trail was pretty muddy in spots, so boots would have been better than tennis shoes.

Arrived here late morning and there were just a few cars in the parking lot :) The hike is a nice meandering trail. No real elevation gains. It would certainly benefit from a few day work parties to address some brushing and some areas that have become mucky. As you get closer to the beaver lake the forest becomes more jungle like. Right now as you look into the lake from the bridge you can see thousands of tadpoles swimming. As we got closer to river the views were pretty darn good. We had lunch out on the sand bar and it was just a cool place to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery.

Arrived at the large Beaver Lake parking lot around 11 with only one other car at the lot. Which is a shame since this is a great walk for younger kids and even has something for the more adventerous. Families looking to escape the crowds at Big Four, Lake 22, and even Boulder River should consider the north side of the Mountain Loop highway as there are a few nice river walks in the Darrington area. And the road is paved all the way. It had rained hard the day before so the trail was fairly muddy but not too bad. Salmon berries edged the trail the whole way but hikers should be mindful of the stinging nettles nearby as they reach for those hard to get berries. The trail description describes the washed out river section but that has been mostly repaired. Unsure hikers should bring along their hiking poles for stability here. And even though it was somewhat muddy, we had no problems. Considering other possible trail obstacles, its nothing really. The advantage of this section is that the river is wide open to view. On the far bank we saw what might have been a merganser in a sheltered area near a log. As it took flight upriver we noticed a flash of red and saw that a woodpecker was catching bugs high above. On we wandered and to our delight when we reached the lake and the bridge there was a parade of hundreds, nay, thousands of tadpoles is a continuous procession slowly floating around in endless loops. More unknown birds sang from above and fortunately even though it is a marshy area - no mosquitos. We continued on to the end where the river - no doubt in the awesome 2006 floods - had washed out the bank. We found a way down to a perfectly placed lunch log along the remaining river braid. Suddenly we were greated by the largest Monarch butterfly I have ever seen who seemed very interested in our bright colored clothing. We also saw terns feeding along the sandy bank of the sand bar that lay across the shallow water. And indeed we took our boots off and had an explore on the opposite sandy banks. Intrepid hikers will continue on and find where the trail continues up to the left and appears to offer a loop back along an old road to the trailhead. Study the map at the trailhead carefully for your path. But we were content to sit and watch the clouds slowly unveil the higher, snowy reaches of Mt. Pugh, Mt. Forgotten, and further south, the snowy north flanks of Bedal Peak. On the way back, right before reaching the trailhead we saw a trail left to the river and walked out to the USGS Gauging station. Additional river access is offered here, which will require both hands and feet to descend. I did get a couple of suprising bites from black flies but fortunately for me the irration passes quickly. But what is a real hike without nature taking a bit back from you.

It is really more of a Beaver wetland than a lake but still a nice hike. An easy stroll for the most part thanks to the work of PCTA volunteers. There is one place about a mile in that is still a little steep and awkward to walk down. The trail ends at the river which is a nice stop for lunch before you head back.