Pine and Cedar Lakes — Tuesday, May. 17, 2016

Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area

*IMPORTANT NOTE: The directions on the website are wrong, if you are coming from the South end. Take Exit 246 off North I-5, but DON'T turn left at the end of the freeway off-ramp, TURN RIGHT. If you go left, you'll be driving along Samish Way looking for Old Samish Rd forever... because you won't find it. Took my first trip up this trail today, and I loved it! I'm just getting back in to hiking, so this was a workout for me... but the scenery and wonderful trail conditions made it all worth while. The first part of the trail was definitely the hardest. It was pretty steep, and continued to go up and up, with little to no flat spots to stop and catch your breath. Once you make it past that though, the trail evens out and the scenery gets even better! The trees offered the perfect amount of shade from the sun, the greenery was so lush, and you could hear birds and squirrels almost the entire time. Pine Lake was gorgeous! I found a fallen tree, leaning out over the water, that I quickly made a seat of to enjoy a brief rest. Definitely explore all around the lake, as there are different views available with every turn. Cedar Lake was pretty also, but a bit smaller. I opted to go check out the "Viewpoint", which had been listed on one of the signs and added an additional 1.2 miles to the trip, and it was well worth it. A huge, smooth boulder with an amazing view was waiting for me up there... the perfect lunch spot on such a beautiful day! The viewpoint trail is found to the left, when you arrive at Cedar Lake. As you follow the trail around the lake (to the left) you will eventually come to the viewpoint trail, which veers off to the left also - it is signed. I would definitely recommend this trail to anyone looking for a good workout, and a gorgeous hike!