Goat Lake — Sunday, Jun. 12, 2016

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

This was a great early season easy hike. We took the Upper Elliot trail on the way up and the Lower on the way back. The lake itself was stunning and one of the most beautiful we've seen. We arrived early in the morning and left the trail head at about 8:20. We arrived at the lake around 10:20. There are muddy spots and I fell in a few streams, so I'd suggest waterproof hiking boots over sneakers. The trails was really quiet on the way up. We passed just a few backpackers coming down. At the lake we had a log to ourselves and enjoyed taking pictures and watching a few fellows blow up a raft. On the way back down we ran into several groups of hikers, mostly large. We returned to our car at around 12:30. It was beautifully clear day for this hike and the mountains around this lake are beautiful with their snow. It is a bit cold so I suggest layers too. We saw a lot of shorts on the way up and I was cold with my jacket on at the lake.