Rachel Lake — Monday, Sep. 1, 2025

What a hike!

Got to trailhead a little after noon to a nearly full parking lot. The road was washboardy but did not pose any problems. 

The trail starts with a gentle climb then levels out and is mostly flat for the next 3ish miles. Almost all of the elevation gain is in the last mile or so and this is where the trail starts to become hard to follow. There were several instances where 2 or 3 trails appear viable and impossible to tell which is the 'true' trail. We heard from other hikers that they all connect so maybe it doesn't even matter in the end, but good idea to download the map beforehand and/or hike this one with a buddy. WTA says it is a 7 mile roundtrip, but our Garmin said we went 9 miles.

The lake at the top was absolutely stunning! Perfect to jump in or just dip your toes. The abundance of blueberries at the top made for an even more delicious snack break. 

We did not encounter any bugs on the trail or at the lake.