WTA has the distance of this hike wrong. This hike is only 3.5 miles roundtrip, 100 ft. elevation gain. Very easy along a gravel road. Nice fall colors along the way and neat abandoned structures to photograph. Keep in mind the last 13.5 miles of dirt road will take you forty-five minutes.

Easy flat trail suitable for anyone! We calculated the mileage to be closer to 5.5 miles round trip. Lots of neat things to explore and see. Fall colors were gorgeous, but are definitely fading fast. We also saw a lot of deer, elk, and coyote droppings, and even some bear droppings, but no actual animals other than birds and squirrels. We couldn't have asked for better weather. If you take your kids or dogs: there is a lot of broken glass in and around the houses. Also, trains are active in the area; we saw 2 go by in the couple of hours we were there.

Cool place to check out, especially in the fall. Foliage is beautiful, and the abandoned houses super creepy. Great Halloween time hike. We wandered around the area across from the houses, on the other side of the tracks, and there are more interesting old structures and cars to see over there too. Love old ghost towns. :)

Beautiful Lester, WA! Pretty easy to find, take exit 62 and follow Forest Road 54 roughly 15 miles before arriving at the footbridge. The walk in is nice, wildflowers on each side and rustic abandoned cars in ditches (wonder how they got there?). After a while you'll find a bridge going over the river, plenty of fish in the river to watch and take a short rest. Follow the train tracks down and you'll see a storage area for Tacoma Power, what remains of Lester sits right behind it. We were about 5 years to late for Lester, word is that the last few years haven't been very kind. One of the largest buildings seen in most pictures is collapsed and what remains of the others is primarily covered in rodent droppings. However, the walk in is very nice and it's a great quick low stress walk. Time: 1 1/2 HRs Rating: 6.5/10

Hiked from the gate on FR-5400 (west of Stampede Pass) to the ghost town of Lester, WA. This is more of a walk than anything…the only hiking coming if you venture off trail to explore. Below, I’ve included driving directions and a brief trail/hike description, because this spot can be a bit frustrating to find. Driving directions: From Seattle, take I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, then get off at exit 62 (Stampede Pass). Take a right onto FR-54 (NF Rd 5400), and continue on this over Stampede Pass. The road is steep and bumpy in places, and caution is advised if traveling in a sedan. After about 13.5 miles, you’ll come to a bridge over Friday Creek with a large gate prohibiting vehicle traffic into Lester. There is a large parking area here. On the north side of the parking area there is a semi-occupied cabin owned by the City of Tacoma that is strictly off-limits, so be sure not to trespass on the property. The town of Lester is an easy 2-mile walk from the parking area. Trail/Hike description: From the parking area, you have an eerily quiet walk to the ghost town of Lester, WA. The walk parallels the headwaters of the Green River to the south and a huge array of hi-voltage power lines to the north. After about 1.5 miles, you’ll come across the old Lester airstrip area, and towards the end of the clearing, you’ll start noticing the crumbled foundations of this once-booming railroad town. After the road winds through a quick S-turn, follow the railroad tracks into Lester. There’s not much left of the town, but the remaining buildings are a creepy reminder of what used to be a busy railroad stop along the BNSF Tacoma-line. Use caution if venturing into any of the buildings, as they’re all extremely weathered, and potentially on the verge of structural collapse. West of Lester are the abandoned towns of Nagrom, Lemolo, and Palmer, but these locations are closed due their proximity within the Green River Water Supply Watershed.