Ashland Lakes Trail offers lovely family hike

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March 12, 1998

Ashland Lakes Trail offers lovely family hike

By KAREN SYKES
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Though the guidebooks will tell you Ashland Lakes is a hike best done in summer, I have a secret: I've hiked this trail in winter more than once and even found the trail snow-free upon occasion.

Some winters the trail is snowed-in. And since this is one of those winters, it's a good year to explore trails such as these. The Darrington ranger station reports that the access road is still covered by snow, but it's melting fast. Hardy hikers can make it, although snowshoes might be necessary.

If you're not that intrepid, wait a few weeks. Perhaps you can push the seasons a bit and pull off a hike that's so delicious it seems sinful.

The Ashland Lakes Trail was engineered in the early 1970s by the Department of Natural Resources and has several unique features. Parts of the trail consist of planks, some sections are puncheon, and muddy areas are dotted with round cedar stepping blocks, but the unwary hiker may learn the hard way that some of these surfaces can be very slick when wet.

I was introduced to Ashland Lakes on a warm summer day several years ago and was amazed to find such a scenic destination so close to Seattle. I was enchanted with the lily pads on the lakes and the peace of the big trees sheltering the lakes from the noisy world. Fishermen also love these lakes. The hike is short, scenic and easy, so you'll bump into plenty of people , including families having picnics.

Ashland Lakes and parts of Beaver Plant Lake are encircled by boardwalks. If the day is wet, proceed with caution on the wood. Camping is permitted at all the lakes. At Upper Ashland Lake there are restrooms and a group campsite. In summer, the lake is lined with water lilies and marsh marigolds. In fall, you'll want to come back for the huckleberries.

The hike is short and if the snow is gone you have more options. Hike a mile and a half beyond Lower Ashland Lake to moody Twin Falls Lake on a trail that is not heavily used.

The condition of this trail will vary from year to year. Experienced hikers will find the trail easy enough to follow, but it always reminds me of the old game of Chutes and Ladders -- there may well be a tilted, slippery plank or staircase of slippery roots, and a fall will certainly produce an "ouch." Later, in spring, the trail will be vivid with flowering shrubs.

Camping is permitted at Twin Falls Lake, but wait for a warm summer weekend if you intend to camp -- the site is dark and cold. Twin Falls Lake is created by Wilson Creek, which tumbles down a 125-foot granite face. It's dynamic, theatrical and worth the effort -- spooky bridges, chutes, ladders, roots and all.

Map Getting there
Drive the Mountain Loop Highway east from Granite Falls 4.6 miles past the Verlot Public Service Center and turn right onto Schweitzer Creek Road (4020). Drive 2.3 miles and turn right onto Bear Lake Road (4021). Drive another 1.5 miles to the junction with the Bald Mountain-Ashland Lakes Road. Turn left and follow this road .2 mile to the trailhead.

Trail detail
The trail begins at an elevation of 2,500 feet on an old road that has been rendered impassible to motorized vehicles. Hike the road for less than a half-mile and then walk on true trail through old growth. At about a mile you'll reach Beaver Plant Lake with developed campsites. If this is not far enough, continue hiking a half-mile to Upper Ashland Lake. Lower Ashland is worth a visit, too -- it's only a quarter-mile away, but the trail is rooty and could prove difficult for small children , so they may need to be carried.

Trail data
Round trip to Ashland Lakes is just under four miles with an elevation gain of 500 feet. Round trip to Twin Falls Lake is about seven miles; elevation gain 1,300 feet.

For more information, refer to "Best Hikes With Children in Western Washington & The Cascades" by Joan Burton (The Mountaineers, 256 pages, $14.95). For road/trail condition information, call the Darrington ranger station at 360-436-1155 (Verlot ranger station is closed in winter).