Eightmile Lake — Thursday, Jul. 24, 2025

We were lucky enough to score overnight permits and hiked in on 7/24. Although the parking lot was completely full, the trail itself was surprisingly quiet. A super friendly ranger greeted us at the trailhead, which was a great start.

The hike in went by quickly, with the first mile being the steepest. We passed through vibrant fields of wildflowers—pink paintbrush and fireweed were especially abundant and in full bloom.

We camped at Eightmile Lake, which turned out to be the perfect choice. After a warm, sunny day, jumping into the clear water was incredible—super refreshing. We even swam across the lake.

The lake water tasted amazing after filtering. Our campsite was shaded, spacious, and had excellent water access.

The next morning brought a steady breeze, but nothing too disruptive. We hiked out 7/25.

Wildlife sightings included a few hungry and bold chipmunks and a rabbit.

Trail obstacles included several down trees — but easy to climb over. Mosquitos were pretty mild, but biting flies.

The hike out was smooth and fast. We passed plenty more people heading in on Friday.

The road condition was great for a service road—easy in a low-clearance vehicle. The drive in was a bit slower than the way out, which was quick.