Goat Lake

Paradise on earth. Lovely 1 day backpacking trip to camp right next to Goat Lake. As you walk through the forest you can see evidence of recent plate tectonic activity in landslides that caused areas of forest to have less old growth, splitting apart of rocks in the area, etc. Breathtaking waterfalls along the trail. Mosquitos were intense in early June when I went, but everything else was bliss.... Paradise on earth. Lovely 1 day backpacking trip to camp right next to Goat Lake. As you walk through the forest you can see evidence of recent plate tectonic activity in landslides that caused areas of forest to have less old growth, splitting apart of rocks in the area, etc. Breathtaking waterfalls along the trail. Mosquitos were intense in early June when I went, but everything else was bliss. Recommend visiting on a weekday as trailhead parking fills quickly on weekends.

This is a moderate hike to the lake, about 8km one way and 500m in elevation. Most of the hike is not steep, but the last 3/4 of a km or so changes, the trail becomes narrower, with some loose rocks, and definitively steeper, until you plateau just before the lake, at the waterfall. The lake is nice, especially early in the morning when the water is still and becomes a mirror for the mountains beh... This is a moderate hike to the lake, about 8km one way and 500m in elevation. Most of the hike is not steep, but the last 3/4 of a km or so changes, the trail becomes narrower, with some loose rocks, and definitively steeper, until you plateau just before the lake, at the waterfall. The lake is nice, especially early in the morning when the water is still and becomes a mirror for the mountains behind, but has few access points and those are rather small, so it can get crowded. The camping area is on the left as you arrive, just before the lake, and doesn't have many spots, and those available are not very level, but it's still a good place to spend the night and enjoy the lake all by yourself. The last few km of the access road are unpaved but the road is in good condition and suitable for all cars.

Packrafting Goat Lake turned a classic hike into something way more fun and unique. We biked in along the Upper Elliott Creek Trail, which is open to bikes and made for a quicker, more exciting approach. There were a few downed logs and rocky bits, but it was absolutely worth it. Once the trail narrowed, we stashed the bikes and hiked the rest of the way up alongside the creek. It’s a moderate hi... Packrafting Goat Lake turned a classic hike into something way more fun and unique. We biked in along the Upper Elliott Creek Trail, which is open to bikes and made for a quicker, more exciting approach. There were a few downed logs and rocky bits, but it was absolutely worth it. Once the trail narrowed, we stashed the bikes and hiked the rest of the way up alongside the creek. It’s a moderate hike, with a steady incline and just one steep section near the top. Trail conditions were great — a few muddy spots, some small water crossings (trekking poles were helpful), and a couple of logs to hop. The forest was beautiful, and there’s an impressive waterfall right when you reach the lake. At the lake, we pulled out two ultralight packrafts we’d brought from Optimum Adventures in Seattle — they only weigh 4 pounds and pack down small, about the size of a tent. Inflated them in a few minutes and paddled straight into the basin. The water was calm and peaceful, and being able to float directly under Bridal Veil Falls was honestly incredible. And the views of the lakes from the packrafts were truly something I'll never forget - the views were unmatched. Parking at the Goat Lake trailhead requires a Northwest Forest Pass, and it was pretty quiet midweek — but it sounds like weekends can get packed. It’s easy to see why this is considered one of the best alpine lake hikes in Washington. We’d definitely do this one again. The combo of hiking in and paddling across the lake made it feel like more than just a hike — it was a full-on alpine adventure.

One for the books for sure! Muffin (my dog) and I arrived on Thursday (August 15th) just after sunrise and got the parking lot and all the spiderwebs to ourselves the entire way to the lake! We even enjoyed our breakfast at the lake in solitude. However, they weren't kidding when they said this trail is popular. We saw multiple hikers and runners and other dogs on our way back. I did the lower Ell... One for the books for sure! Muffin (my dog) and I arrived on Thursday (August 15th) just after sunrise and got the parking lot and all the spiderwebs to ourselves the entire way to the lake! We even enjoyed our breakfast at the lake in solitude. However, they weren't kidding when they said this trail is popular. We saw multiple hikers and runners and other dogs on our way back. I did the lower Elliot creek trail on the way in, and then the upper trail on the way back, but either direction would have been lovely, and they both offer different types of views! The lower creek is more ups and downs and dirt path along the creek with roots and tall grasses in some places. The upper trail was mostly rock and gravel and was wider. Don't make the same mistake I did though, and don't stop when you get to the first path down to the lake! Keep going straight, or you'll totally miss the view in all the photos. We didn't go further so we got an angled view 🤦 definitely going to come back and do it right next time! I'm not a super fit hiker, and this felt fairly easy elevation wise, but my legs were definitely tired after the ten miles round trip! Though I drove my SUV, the gravel portion of mountain loop highway was in great condition, my Tesla could have made it. They say this hike is great for kids, and it could be, if your kids can hike ten miles (or more) round trip.

Very small parking area. It was full at 8.30 on Sunday. I suspect most of the cars may be from the backpackers. Parked along the road...looking at some of the random cars parked along the road ( probably backpackers)I think the road parking gets long but on this day the line didn't seem to have extended by the time got back again. We took the lower Elliot both ways based on the reviews and it was... Very small parking area. It was full at 8.30 on Sunday. I suspect most of the cars may be from the backpackers. Parked along the road...looking at some of the random cars parked along the road ( probably backpackers)I think the road parking gets long but on this day the line didn't seem to have extended by the time got back again. We took the lower Elliot both ways based on the reviews and it was scenic. The lake is beautiful, we went past the lake and reached one spot from where it looked like we would have to bushwack but just a few feet ahead we found a nice rock that extended in to the water where we could sit and have lunch. You need the North West Forest pass. No pay tube. Buy say pass before hand and print. No cell coverage at the lot to buy it there.