Heart Lake via Lily Basin Trail

The Lily Basin trail climbs gently through corridors of huckleberry, mountain azalea and patches of bear grass. At half a mile, the trail meets up with Lily Basin Stock Trail.

Continue for one mile and you begin to top the ridge. About four miles in, the trees clear and you can see Packwood Lake in the bottom of the basin with Mount Rainier looming in the background.

Soak up the views before switching over to the Lily Basin side of the ridge. Lily Basin offers mountain streams and open ridge hiking. As you reach the apex of the basin at mile five, use caution as you scale your way into and out of a major washout.

At the junction with the Angry Mountain Trail, it’s only one more mile to your destination as you begin to drop in elevation. In a half mile, a trail drops off to the right, leading you down into the basin to Heart Lake, but staying left will lead you on a trail that circles the basin, offering spectacular views of Angry Mountain and the ridges you just traversed.

After cooling down at the lake, make the climb up and out of the basin. The views are equally lovely on the return trip.