Due to time constraints, my buddy and I were forced to stick to a shorter trail even after receiving reports that the trail to Lake Serene was snow free. The hike to Bridal Veil Falls (part of Bridal Veil Creek that serves as an outlet of Lake Serene) is short, only 4.2 miles round-trip. The trailhead is located off of Highway 2 and the falls lie within the confines of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.
Directions
To get to the trailhead, travel east on Highway 2 (paved) from Monroe, WA. At milepost 35.2, about 21 miles east of Monroe, turn right onto Mount Index Road (Forest Road 6020 - gravel). Travel 0.3 mile on Forest Road 6020 and branch right onto Forest Road 6020-109 (gravel). The trailhead parking is just ahead. The junction is signed. Forest roads 6020 and 6020-109 are both passable to any passenger vehicle. A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead. There are two outhouses in the parking area, elevation: 600 feet.
Trail Conditions
The hike begins along an old forest road directly behind the trailhead kiosk. The trail was in good condition with a few muddy places. There is good signage along the trail's length and the junction where the trail splits, the left fork heading to Lake Serene, is marked. There were a few mosquitoes especially along the lower portions of the trail. The falls were flowing at high capacity and I was able to clamor over some creekside rocks to get some good close-up photos. The trail is entirely snow-free and there are no blow-downs to navigate over.
Notes
I counted 28 other vehicles in the parking area when we arrived and 27 vehicles when we departed. There were quite a few people on the trail and there seemed to be a lot of people out with their mothers celebrating Mother's Day. Most of these people were probably headed for Lake Serene because not many people were at the falls given the relatively large number of vehicles in the parking lot. The weather remained cloudy throughout the entire hike and I was able to make it wearing some nylon pants and a t-shirt with the occasional application of a sweatshirt. I also donned my gore-tex shell when venturing out around the base of the falls due to spray from the force of the water. All in all we had a great short little hike.
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