Did this as a two night, 3 day backpacking trip with a day hike to Tatoosh Buttes over 4th of July weekend. We started at Billy Goat TH and followed Hidden Lakes trail (via the passes), described by others here. This trail was absolutely beautiful but there are some cons to consider. The primary issue we had was a surprising lack of camping spots near any of the lakes aside from a few tight spots on Cougar Lake. However, near the trail cabins between Firsts and Middle Hidden Lakes (also referred to as the guard stations--they are locked and not for public use), there is one public open walled shelter on the First Hidden Lake side. There are also a few somewhat "hidden" spots if you follow the path near the toilet sign and keep the stock tie-up to your left. Cross a few fallen logs and you'll find a great little spot, which was thankfully pointed out to us by the fishermen hanging out at the shelter (thanks guys!!). I have read online, and this was confirmed by the fishermen, to avoid camping close to the cabins due to rodents. None of the spots have great lake access except the shelter, so don't have high hopes of taking a dip. Second, the trail gets harder to follow once you get past the cabins, essentially turning into a stream bed before mellowing out again. We hoped to get to Big Hidden Lake our first night, but we were exhausted by the hike in, so we turned back and camped at the aforementioned spot. On Day 2, we hiked to Big Hidden Lake then doubled back to near our camp to hike Tattoosh Buttes. This was a tough but really fantastic addition to our trip that I'd highly recommend if you have time. The trail junction is unmarked, but surprisingly not hard to find currently. It's between First and Middle HiddenL in an area with thick brush and a fast flowing (loud but not visible from the trail) creek to the west. You can actually see the trail going up the ridge which should be an additional cue if you're not following a map (would highly recommend gpx though). The immediate start to the trail is very steep and sketchy but the trail quality improves and is very easy to follow all the way to the Buttes. The trail passes through burn, forest, through alpine meadows, and finally to the top of the ridge with amazing 360 views of the surrounding landscape. We saw no one on this trail and it felt very magical and otherworldly. There were a few snowfields at the top but nothing treacherous. There's no signage at the top and the trail continues on toward the other peaks. We had a snack and turned back the way we came, finally arriving at our camp in the early evening. On both days we saw loons on the lake, but didn't hear them; we did fall asleep lullabied by the sweet, low, buzzy "peent!" of common nighthawks. Our third day we hiked back the way we came. The trip back for whatever reason felt much more challenging but overall it was a fantastic long weekend!!
A few random notes:
The trail can be very exposed during some portions, so bring sunscreen. Plenty of water on the trail right now. We drove to Winthrop on Thursday night and stayed at the River Pines Inn before hitting the trail early Friday AM. It was a little pricey but suprisingly cute, comfortable, and homey, with a great spot for drinks overlooking the river. If driving from Seattle to Winthrop via Rte 20 (via the Cascades scenic byway), the road is GORGEOUS, just keep in mind there are very few places to stop and eat/get gas/supplies. If you do need to stop, we had a solid American-Korean fusion dinner at Mondo's in Marblemount (there's also a local gas station with an amazing variety of stuff) but slim pickings overall. In Winthrop things close early, keep that in mind if you plan to hike out late Sunday. There are public showers at the RV park in Winthrop as well as a laundromat in Twisp, just bring cash or quarters. There's also nothing between Winthrop and the trailhead in terms of supplies/gas stations/etc. So definitely stock up and be ready to go before leaving Seattle. The road to the trailhead was gravel but otherwise extremely easy to drive. Additionally there are a number of first come first serve campgrounds along the road that would be excellent for pre-hike zzz's if you don't want to fork over money for a stay in Winthrop. Busyness wise, it wasn't completely desolate (we saw about 5 couples/groups on day 1, two of the same couples on day 2, and 2 couples on day 3) but definitely high on the solitude meter for a holiday weekend. The exception was Tattoosh Buttes, where we saw no one at all.
Birds to listen/look for:
Western tanager, western wood peewee, hermit thrush, common nighthawk, Townsend's solitaire, white-crowned sparrow, mountain and western bluebird, Clark's nutcracker (Tattoosh), Canada jays, Wilson's warbler, loon
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