
Lake Serene Hike
This is not a hike I would recommend to someone for whom solitude is important. However, it is beautiful and worth the trip if you can venture out midweek and are ok with encountering quite a few other hikers on the way. The hike is particularly crowded early in the season because it is one of the first in the region to lose snowpack, when gaggles of cabin-fevered Northwesterners are eager to get out into the woods. So, visiting later in the summer might be helpful in avoiding some of the crowds.
All of that said, this trail is busy for a reason. It is mostly shaded, a boon on hot summer days, and is still light and open throughout. Look up to grab a view of Mount Index from the parking lot before starting out on the trail. The hike starts out on an old overgrown road bed with very little incline, surrounded by salmonberry bushes. The trail starts to climb a bit once you leave the wide road bed for a traditional hiking trail surrounded by evergreen trees. In just under 2 miles, you have the option to take a small 0.5 mile detour to Bridal Veil Falls. I have yet to make this excursion, but it is a popular and beautiful spot from what I hear.
Once you pass the offshoot to Bridal Veil Falls, you cross a somewhat large creek (depending on the season). When I visited this year, I had to pick Newton up and slowly make my way across, but during years with less snowpack I found the crossing to be easy. Upon crossing the creek, you are greeted with a more serious climb. Over the next 1.5 miles, you will gain about 1,300 feet of elevation. After this point, it feels as though the stairs are made up entirely of stairs and switchbacks. Continue reading Hike of the Month: Lake Serene