Ingalls Creek — Sunday, May. 26, 2024

We joined a few friends (and a dog) on what was basically a pleasant woods walk up this trail. We started around 11am, and temps were mild with mostly cloudy skies. The trail was full of wildflowers of nearly every known variety for the east side of the Cascades. Ingalls Creek was pretty full, but I believe it was roaring faster when we went here this time last year. The trail is a fairly steady but very modest climb, doable by almost anyone.

Foot traffic was pretty steady going up as well as back down, with multiple groups of 6+ people encountered frequently, most of them backpackers, and some with dogs (all leashed). The various spots near the creek quickly filled up with tents so there weren't a lot of places to get close to the water without walking through someone's campsite. We hiked close to 3 miles before finding a decent lunch spot and then turning around and going back.

If you like wildflowers now is the time to go and hike this trail. Once the show is over there isn't going to be much left to see unless you're simply here to go backpacking all the way to Stuart Pass or just camping by the water.