This popular hike had been our list for awhile. It had just reopened when we hiked and the quarter-minus rockway was great for the first half mile or so. My uncle and aunt were in town and I may have underestimated this one: I would suggest “moderate/hard” for the difficulty. There are several places you are hiking on rock and coming down you have to watch your footing. I’m an experienced hiker, had poles, and still slipped and landed in my butt once! There was a recent large tree down that took effort to climb over (easily 4-5ft diameter). At one point we inadvertently took an older part of the trail that looped back and reconnected to the switch backs (had old wooden boardwalk to the side that was deteriorated so that’s how we knew it was trail at one point). Suggest setting a log or rope to make sure it’s obvious where to go. Steady stream of people and dogs up and down. It was a hot day and we picnicked and jumped in the lake to cool off. Snacked on delicious salmonberries and huckleberries near the lake and along the trail. Yum! We started just after 12pm (parked along the access road, lot was full) and arrived back at the car at 4:30pm. Hiking time was 3 hours but we spent a long while enjoying the lake. Would recommend boots with ankle support and poles. 

I won't repeat most of what others said in the most recent trip reports.

As stated in other recent reports, the first part of the trail has recently had significant work and is in great shape. There is a section in the middle/upper section that one hiker that passed us called "gnarly". Great description. It's been quite a few years since I hiked this trail, but I don't remember this gnarliness. Lots of roots and slabs of rock. I've included a few pictures of this. It is also maybe where this section starts that it is not exactly clear for a little bit if you are on the trail. Some folks seem to head to the right at a switchback, but the trail really does head to the left. It's more apparent after you get farther and see regular trail indications. There are some orange tape pieces tied along the actual trail in this section, but not close together.

The lower part of the trail has huge stumps. The upper part has some huge trees. Both are amazing.

There is a huge new-to-me parking lot on the right. It looks big enough to hold as many as the Lake 22 trailhead holds if not more. That is in addition to the smaller parking lots on both sides of the road at the trailhead. Some folks were parked parallel along the road rather than in the new parking lot when we came back down so it seems folks might not be seeing it or sure that it's a trailhead parking lot. There is an outhouse between this new parking lot and the road parking lot. 

There is a sign up at the lake to the left for a backcountry toilet, but we walked a ways that way and did not find it. It would be great as there were lots of folks up there, but we asked others and they hadn't found it either. 

The recent mention of not many folks being on the trail I think has dramatically changed this week. Lake 22 is now closed Monday - Friday through October 31st for heavy maintenance so I think Heather Lake is seeing the result of it. There were lots and lots of people on the trail.

realized the trail was open (on Google Maps it's still listed as closed, which I think deterred some people) and decided to do a hike closer to home than my original plan. 4th car in the lot at around 7:00am on a Sunday. The road to the trailhead is one of the most pleasant gravel/dirt roads I've driven in a while, no potholes to speak of or anything. 

The first half of the trail has been updated with freshly laid gravel and new steps, which was great. This part of the trail is wide and clear, with minimal elevation gain. during the second half, it becomes very rocky with lots of roots. I'm short and only had to use my hands once to get up, so nothing unreasonable. It's fairly steep in some small sections, but otherwise a moderate uphill with switchbacks. make sure you look where you're going or the roots will trip you. There is a fallen tree when you get closer to the lake that you need to climb over, it's annoying but not too difficult (but slippery!). I will be entirely candid and say I didn't encounter it going up, but swear I never went off trail, so either I've lost it a little bit or the tree fell during the time I was at the lake. who knows. 

The lake was beautiful as always, very lush and green. The mosquitoes were annoying but not awful, and bug spray kept them away. The short trail around the perimeter of the lake is very overgrown, but luckily it's overgrown with salmonberry and huckleberry bushes! spent my time happily grazing before making it over to the north end of the lake to sit on one of the boulders and enjoy my breakfast. beautiful wildflowers in this area too, including a ton of Columbia lilies. At the south end of the lake there are several large rocks, and if you're not too tall, they're great for jumping off into the lake. chilly but refreshing!

saw a lot of wildlife around the lake, including a few pika, and many bird species (yellow and wilson's warblers, several species of flycatchers, grosbeaks, flickers, and even a pygmy owl!). 

Lot was almost full when I got back to my car around noon. I expect this one to get busier on weekends once the 'temporarily closed' label is removed on Maps. 

enjoy! 

Are there still overlooked gems in Western Washington? The cynical and jaded might say no, but here's my case for Heather Lake. I arrived around 8:00am on a Sunday and was the fifth car in the lot. I'm guessing a lot of hikers bypass Heather Lake for Mount Pilchuck or Lake 22. Many might also think this particular trail is still closed, as indicated on AllTrails and Google. But it's open, and I had the trail to myself in the morning.

The first half of the hike is on recently -- and beautifully -- graded gravel and dirt. This part is wide, easy, and smooth, showing off gorgeous second-growth forest and disguising a gentle, but steady, climb. Partway through, the trail switches pretty abruptly into a narrow, rocky, and rootbound path. Nothing too challenging, but a few big step-ups and spots where you have to scurry up a slab or clamber over big patches of woven roots. This part of the trail is also occasionally a bit confusing, with small side trails sprouting off and then disappearing. Things are mostly dry now, but damp ground suggests this trail gets very muddy when wet. 

As you approach the lake, the trail forks. I stayed left/went straight, with a few little detours to get clearer views. The highlight here is the sheer and dramatic section of Mount Pilchuck that boxes in about a third of the horizon. It's hard to get a wide enough angle to show the whole scene, but it's sneakily stunning.

Unlike some more alpine lakes, Heather Lake has a soft shoreline ringed by marshes and meadows. Following the trail clockwise takes you through a few of those lovely meadows and then into some thickets. I briefly got lost here, and at one point, the trail was so overgrown that I almost turned back. But I'm glad I didn't -- on the other side were some of my favorite views of the hike. With Pilchuck at your back and the occasional boardwalk under your feet, enjoy a storybook view of commingled lake, marsh, and boulder. Adding to the magical feel of this back section was a trio of Anna's hummingbirds, two of whom perched near me for quite some time.

All of the recent trail reports mention that the trail around the lake is a loop, but for some reason, I couldn't quite make the connection. I ended up bushwhacking into an old streambed, gave up, and went back the way I came. For my troubles, I got a big handful of ripe salmonberry. There were also what I'm fairly certain were huckleberries, but I wasn't confident enough to try them.

The way back down was simple enough, though I think I might have taken a slightly different path down that involved climbing over a fallen tree that I do not remember encountering on the way up. It was slightly slower going than I expected, since the rocks, roots, and occasional slick spots require a little care and attention. But I made it back in one piece around 11:00am -- roughly an hour up, an hour at the lake, and an hour down. The lot was pretty much completely full when I returned, and traffic on the trail had picked up too. 

Overall, this trail is perfect for beginners wanting to branch out or more seasoned hikers who just need to get outside on an otherwise busy weekend. It's fun, provides a lot of variety, and (especially if you get there early) has some really special stretches. It's so close to Seattle that I'm surprised it's not packed even earlier in the day -- in fact, it's tempting to not post a trail report and just keep this secret for myself. But I don't believe in gatekeeping the outdoors, so maybe we can compromise. Do this hike, but let's leave it marked as "closed" on the Internet for now?

One last note -- I was surprised and delighted to encounter some pikas deep in the woods. Apparently, Pacific Northwest pika have adapted to living in and on moss. Not much is known about these populations, but they will potentially have a bit of an advantage as climate change heats up their traditional talus habitat. The photo I attached is zoomed in, so the pika looks like Sasquatch -- but it's in there, I promise! I've also linked a short article below.

The trail is open, with very thorough smoothing and fresh gravel for the first 3/4 mile. After that the trail gets a little rougher, with some big steps over roots and rocks. Nothing anyone can't tackle with some good tread!

Highly recommended to go the extra mile all the way around the lake. The boardwalk at the back end is surrounded by ripe salmonberries, and you can listen to the falls cascading off the mountain. I ate so many berries I didn't need the packed snack I brought along.

There's one good water source flowing decently on the way up, about 1 mile or so in.

Parking lot had spots available at 0930 on a Saturday, but probably because the trail is showing as temporarily closed. Hurry and visit before everyone finds out it's open again 😎