Area is permanently closed as of May 2025. I had the opportunity to enjoy it the last month before it was closed in April. The pond is going to be permanently closed to help restore the bully trout population. Beautiful alpine blue waters surrounded by mountains. A great place for a picnic. The trail is not well kept and has some holes in some of the wooden walkways. Watch your step! Also spots can be quite slick where it has melted and frozen over again. The access road is also slick and most folks parked on the main road and walked the extra 0.6 miles to get to the trailhead. read more

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This time the trash wasn't everywhere but some people decided to toss their trash in the one vault toilet which was utterly disgusting. The boards on the path along with the wood are a bit worse for wear and need to be replaced. The lake today along with the glorious fall weather was breathtaking though! Just be sure you pack it in and pack it out gross humans!!! read more

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My family came here for my husband's birthday request, a snow hike! This must be our fourth time coming here and every time we hike it's all worth it! You get to experience the fresh snow, see the frozen lake and be impressed with the Mountain View! Great family venture, easy hike even for small children and elderly during summer time. It can be busy and crowded too! read more

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I agree with all the reviews, Gold Creek Pond is a 5 star place. Take an easy paved/boardwalk around the pond with amazing views from all sides. We had an especially spectacular weather day, so the pictures were crazy beautiful. The water is stunning as are the surrounding mountains. Lots of birds, and we spotted an otter playing. They have a great picnic area, with plenty of parking as well. The only negative we experienced was the road in...it's not pretty...the potholes have potholes. But, it's one location where the serenity and beauty of the destination makes you forget all about the road woes. read more

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It's a bit of a bumpy road to get here, but it's absolutely worth it. The trail is paved, making it family friendly and nice for our senior pup. The views along this trail of the surrounding mountains are gorgeous, and we were fortunate to be there on a clear day where the water was sparkling blue. There are many signs around the trail that actually states that the surrounding ecological area is quite unhealthy due to isolation from construction of I-90. This is of course, quite a bummer to read, but it really reminds you of our impact on the world and to appreciate what we have. read more

Gold Creek Pond - Lakes Near Me

Super fun day hike!! It's almost exactly 1 hour from Seattle - roads were clear and easy to get to. Once you pull off exit 54 there are two trailheads, one next to exit and one down the road about 1/4 mile which is where we went. There is NO parking lot but you can park on the side of road, and make sure to get a Sno-Park Pass!!! We saw people giving out tickets on the way back to our cars, so you definitely need one. We got our pass at REI the night before since there is no place to get one at the trailhead. My Apple Watch tracked exactly 3.08 miles from where we parked, 2 hours 14 minutes, and 100ft elevation gain, so this hike is pretty much completely flat. We went on 1/15/23 and there was a good 4' of snow at least! Everything was pretty well packed on the trail so we only used our micro spikes which worked out fine, but our friends (and most people) had snowshoes on and loved it! We saw some XC skiers as well. Once you walk down the trail you get to another trailhead which then takes you to the lake/pond! There's a trail all the way around the lake but it's a bit hard to find. If you go to the LEFT, it's just inside the trees right off the shore. The water was about 90% frozen over and there were a bunch of footprints from people that walked across to the island, but we didn't want to try that... The views of the mountains are were gorgeous though! It started rain/snowing about halfway through so I'd definitely recommend a waterproof jacket with some layers if not a snow jacket. No need for super heavy duty gear - it was cold but bearable with just 2 pairs of leggings and a jacket on cause you'll get a good warm workout just from walking around. There were a TON of people with dogs, so if you bring yours keep in mind the entire trail is covered with snow/ice, they're feet might get chilly. If you're looking for a fun day hike close to Seattle or want to get some use out of your snowshoes, this is definitely the place! All flat, no tough hills, but still challenging and a decent workout. We went early in the morning around 9am and by the time we left it was getting pretty busy. Hope this review helps, have fun!! read more

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Such a Pretty place! Nice short flat hike! Family friendly, lots of little kids. Came here one afternoon to check out this scenic walk around the Pond. The view is beautiful! Parking is free in the lot and does not require a pass. The hike/walk is about 30-45min, super short. The pond is soooo pretty and very photographable. Highly recommend especially for the whole family! read more

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Omgeee this place is amazing! Great for families and dog friendly too! We enjoyed many hours of play and looking forward to coming more often. It gets busy! Lots of people enjoy this location. The port o potty is gross!!! We warned and be prepared. The snow was melting as we are close to spring, but I imagine this place is beautiful all year round. read more

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We found this place while looking for a spot to take some family pictures during the year that seemed like it would never end. It was surprisingly close to the freeway and a spot that we've probably driven by 1000 times, yet we had no idea it was there. If you have a chance to check this place out, it is well worth it. It's literally located about a mile off of the freeway just east of the summit. During the winter the road back to it seems like it can get a little bit difficult, but with the first couple of snow said come, we were still able to get over there in our van. It's got a little bit of clearance, but it's definitely not an all-terrain vehicle. Maybe a half mile off of the main road was a parking lot followed by a short walk to the pond. They're paired to be a trail that went around the outside of the pond and at least on the south side of it, there were plenty of places to sit including a lot of picnic tables. We were up there on a fairly gray day, and the place was stunning. We very much look forward to going back on a day when the skies are blue as I'm sure the place is absolutely spectacular! Even on a day when it was a little bit less accessible and not particularly pretty, it was still pretty busy. If you're going to come up here in the summertime, it probably makes sense to get here very early! As we found out, it's pretty regardless of when you go, so you should definitely check it out when you have a chance. read more

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Such a lovely spot and perfect for many ages, stages and abilities. The path/trail is paved most of the way around and easily navigable with a stroller, too! The views are wonderful, fresh, vibrant and beautiful. As a homeschooling family, we loved the placards of history and animal information we came across. The picnic area is large and spacious, with some views right up against the water's edge. Perfect for maintaining social distance during a pandemic. Most other hikers/walkers were unmasked, but everyone we encountered was friendly, offered space (or put masks on when they saw ours). read more

Beautiful! We wore snowshoes and brought our small pup. It was a beautiful, easy, hike around the pond. We purchased our Sno-Park pass online the day of. The road to the parking lot was closed but parking on the street was easy and a short walk to the trail. It's so quiet and there was lots of snow. read more

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The is s great place for winter snow shoeing. There are benches and tables so one can also have picnics. The walk around the pond takes ~45 mins. It is very pretty during summer but I feel the snow gives it a mystical feeling. Absolute calm and serene feeling. We got lucky to be the only ones there. Fresh snow, cool crisp wind and a very calm body of water. I will definitely come back for a winter picnic or for another walk around the pond. Must visit !!!!!!! read more

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This is a beautiful pond with great scenic views and small picnic tables for large / small groups to have a great time. There's a small 1 mile hike around the pond which can be classified as "easy" as its relatively flat. read more

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This is the perfect spot for a kid friendly hike - the loop is a little over a mile and has gorgeous views through most of it. It's pretty flat so very doable for the little ones. It does get busy on the weekends though so be prepared with your mask! This place is especially popular in the summer and nice weather as they have a good area of picnic tables to hang out and enjoy the view. read more

Gold Creek Pond - Lakes Near Me

Beautiful lake, easy walking trails, convenient location and tranquility scenery. The trail loop around the lake is about a mile only but it's very kids friendly and mostly flat surfaced. There is a off trail path that leads to the top of the mountain, believe to be a 5ish miles uphill hike, but I didn't try. It's probably fun for those who likes hiking. There are plenty of picnic tables and bbq grills. Parking gets crowded on weekends but it's worth the drive there and the wait. The road that leads to the parking lot is just unleveled gravel road. It's bumpy, be aware! read more

Gold Creek Pond - Lakes Near Me

Beautiful location especially for family photos. We first learned about this place when we got maternity photos done and our photographer recommended it. Wonderful scenery that depicts the PNW in its true beauty. read more

Great scenery right off I90. We got there a bit after 10 on a werkend and there were already plenty of cars parked on the road before turning into the parking lot (NF4832). The road up to the parking lot (NF144) has a bit of snow and a little bit icy, but most AWD should be able to make it up with ease. There were still a few spots left in the parking lot when we arrived, but when we left at around 1 it was getting crowded. There were a lot of people there, but most, maybe 95% of the people had masks on and everyone was social distancing. There are some small hills that kids can slide off on their sleds. The lake itself was gorgeous and serene in the morning. There's a small loop around the lake that takes maybe 30min to and hour to go around depending 9n your pace. Overall a great experience! Next time it'll probably be better to come on a weekday for less of a crowd. read more

It was so pretty and so short and easy! I would not suggest driving down the last road if you're in a small car but I have a cross over and had no problem whatsoever getting to the parking lot, I saw some cars but I wouldn't tempt it if you're not experienced with driving in ice and snow. Used shoe spikes but I think we would've been fine without! read more

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This is a great hike for all ages. In the summer this is an ADA-accessible paved loop hike around the pond. The short distance, lack of incline is great for beginning hikers, smaller kids and families. Distance: 1 mile Elevation gain: 10 feet Location: Exit 54 on I-90 East. I did this hike in the middle of February. The pond was still completely frozen over with heavy amounts of snow. The parking lot was also covered in snow so we had a park on the side of the road and walk about .75 mile to the start of the trailhead. Even though the total distance is 1 mile but the hike from where we parked added another 1.5 mile making it a 2.5 mile round trip in the winter. I did not have any show shoes. I wore my snow boots and that worked out fine. Some spots are very soft so I sank knee deep into the snow a few times. The mountain backdrop was beautiful. The snow amplifies the scenery. This is a great and easy winter hike. read more

Gold Creek Pond - Frozen pond - Lakes Near Me

I'm not the type to really enjoy nature all that much. But this place was absolutely beautiful. Loved how at this time of the year the pond is completely frozen over, the back drop of the Cascade Mountains was awesome all cover with snow, and sun beaming high in the sky picture perfect. Very easy hike (even with snow down) for the beginner like me. We took our dog up there to go romp around in the snow for the first time, and that was a treat. Not far from Hyak run. I'd say if your crossing over the pass or are near this area stop by and check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

Gold Creek Pond - Lakes Near Me

You will not be disappointed in the views. Very easy 1 mile walk and well paved path. Alot of families and strollers. read more

Gold Creek Pond - Lakes Near Me

The pond is an easy accessible hike. The area is really beautiful. I recommend it for a quick hike or a picnic. See one of the photos I took here: http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-ViewPhoto.cfm?id=882965 read more