Lost Lake Summer Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Great for running and biking. Every summer there is a race on this trail to raise money for some kind of medical condition! At times it does get rocky and its uphill most of the way there (2% grade on average).

You'll start off in the dense low woods and as you get further into the trail (~3 miles) it opens up to amazing views and sites that you'll remember for a lifetime. The trail starts out with a smooth wide dirt tread and stays this way for those first 3 miles.

Mid-summer this place becomes lush with green plant life. There are a lot of shrubs with thorns off trail so don't go wondering off here. You'll encounter some roots but not many. About 2 miles in you'll start to see it gradually change to pebbles and rocks, and along the way there will be fresh salmon berries and blueberries.

At the time of my outing there was some trail work going on to make it less steep at the beginning and now the trail will most likely switchback more. At some point during the first half of the trail it goes from being quite narrow to wide enough for three abreast at some points.

Around mile 3.5 you'll be in the valley and start to break out of the tree line. For the next few miles, enjoy views on the left side of high mountain ranges and lush green grass. Once you ascend completely out of the trees, it will open into a large meadow area and be fairly flat.

After the meadow, you'll encounter a few more trees and more rolling terrain. Enjoy this section, as the pleasant terrain and beautiful views make this the highlight of the journey.

Once you reach the the last 2 miles, you'll begin to see Lost Lake. Visitors will overcome one final hill, atop which a breathtaking view of the lake will spread out below. Don't forget to look around in all directions because you'll be surrounded by towering mountains near and far!

Do not take the winter trail unless it's winter. The winter trail is much more difficult. Make sure to sign in at the trailhead.

There will be a lot of fireweed and even more fresh blueberries. There are plenty of other flowers, trees, and shrubs.