Quite a few cars at the trailhead and I passed quite a few people on the trail, but it didn't feel crowded even on a Sunday morning. Lake was gorgeous, and I found a quiet lunch spot on the far side of the lake, past the first couple of viewpoints where most people seem to end their hike. Note: the composting toilet near the lake is out of commission; the silver lining is they've installed the most scenic open-air pit toilet you'll ever have the pleasure of sitting upon.

Trail is in great shape -- enough that I even ran portions of the descent.

The road to Lena Lake is beautifully maintained. There are a few potholes that are marked. 

The trail is very doable for anyone! We had a 8 and 10 year old in tow. The trail is a bit rocky in sections (it's really starting to dry up), so you just have to be careful of your step. 

Wonderful forest. The wildflowers are starting to bloom. We saw a few different types of ferns that we hadn't encountered before. The lake is stunning! Absolutely swimmable. We went in for a few minutes. Cold, but so refreshing!

On our way down the road we saw a ruffed grouse, so go slow!

A+ trail!

The trail to Lena Lake is well-traversed and extremely well-maintained (if still fairly muddy in places). We started our hike around 1 p.m. on Saturday and saw many other parties--lots of dogs and small children. We were backpacking with our 6-year-old and our average pace up was about 45 minutes per mile.

Keep an eye out for the toe of an ancient landslide around the 2-mile mark, and enjoy this visualization of how the lake was formed 1,300 years ago.

We spent two nights right by the Lena Creek crossing and ended up directing lots of traffic. To find the crossing, turn left at the bottom of the hill where the trail intersects a small spring and continue up the river into the second campsite. There you'll find a fallen log with a rope to traverse the river and find many more campsites. It's less sketchy than it looks! Don't miss the Little Free Library around the turn-off to the Brothers Wilderness.

Bugs were present but were not antagonistic. We saw a handful of mosquitos but they were not a problem. 

Did a day hike up the trail towards Upper Lena Lake - the trail is significantly narrower and more overgrown once you pass the Lena Lake campground. Be prepared for a bit of bushwhacking and some climbing over logs.

Started up around 10:30 AM, arrived at Lena Lake around 2:00 PM. Not a lot of people on the trail. Noticed most of the wildflowers as we hiked out. Composting toilet still closed (permanently?) Log bridge out over Lena Creek at lake inlet.