The review is for the Blanca Lake trail in the Amazingly Beautiful Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which has many beautiful trails to explore, which I'm just getting started on. Lol This one is an adventure in itself just getting to, literally of the beaten path, even with its popularity. You will be in the heart of the Cascades after the drive and hike. The last six miles of road is gravel, so it's a slow but scenic drive, after sone of the breathtaking views of the mountains driving up highway 2, which leads over Stevens Pass, almost there, but not quite. Just like the drive, the trail is a rock and root trail, so with both, don't hurry, enjoy the moments, stop and take in the views, forest, nature, and quietness. This is a highly moderate to hard hike, come prepared... plenty of water ( not a single plastic bottle) lots of water, snacks or lunch to enjoy along the trail, while enjoying the beautiful lake views, and to stayed fueled on the way back. Like many of summer hikes I've experienced, watching people not prepared, exhausted and dehydrated, sad days!! A little prep makes for a enjoyable memorable day, not life threatening... seriously! The first four miles are a fairly long cross cross ascent, once you get to the ridge, more amazing views can be seen, till then, you get peek a boo views of the mountains. Once you get to Virgin Lake, you'll start the descent to Blanca Lake, you can hear the waterfalls from the lake, pretty much down to it. Around the lake there was still good size areas of snow melting in the shaded areas. Great views of Columbia peak and glacier (which feeds into the lake) along with many more amazing peaks to views in this glacier valley. The water color is so beautiful!! Getting its color from the glacier water source. I was grateful for the reviews from fellow yelpers and AllTrails, for the recommendations of taking sandals and clothes to swim in, I wore very light hiking clothes which dry fast, and the shoes are helpful for sharp rocks and slippery logs. Yes, even more grateful after watching many falling over the very slippery logs, painful to watch. The waters was amazing! Not as cold as you would expect coming off the glacier, but it was refreshing after a long hike on a very warm day. So worth bringing extra gear. After enjoying a quick lunch with all the amazing views, it was time for the hike back up, and yes, it's a hike up, remember that when you're going DOWN to the lake, it's going to be uphill all the way past Virgin Lake to the ridge. I recommend hiking poles, even if you don't feel they're necessary for the hike up, they definitely make the descent over rocks and roots easier to negotiate. Definitely a hike not to rush, stop and breathe, enjoy the views. This time up I had a fun encounter with the pair of squirrels, letting myself and a few other hikers that stopped to enjoy the spectacle of the squirrels (as. I had to explain) letting us know to stay away from their tree, with squeaks and hand tapping, pretty sure they had young ones up further in the tree. Just another fun part of the adventure in nature. I definitely recommend starting early as this will be a all day adventure, due to the travel and hiking time. Also note, due to a major washout, you will be parking on the side of the road as the washout adds another mile to the trail, the real parking lot is on the other side of the boulder and rock field. It's also a popular hike, so more than likely, especially on the weekends, there will be more people. After the hike, it's a good things Monroe is not far away for some good food and brews( Which it has many options of) I definitely recommend this one, well worth the hard hike, for the amazing lake and views of so many peaks. Not to mention getting to witness a glacier. Come prepared, please! Happy Hiking! God bless and multiple Cheers! read more

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This national forest is a treasure and it's really beautiful. Whether you want to go for the day, spend the night, rent a campsite or go hiking/fishing/exploring for several weeks, this forest is perfect. With the Greenwater River, fishing is plenty and you can't beat the scenery. The salmon run goes through here, and it's fun to watch. There are also lakes and gorgeous meadows, along with glacier capped mountains. There are multiple campsites to rent. In the warmer months, I've seen them full to capacity and in the spring/fall, I've seen a lot of space so check them out. Since it's a national forest, you're allowed to camp wherever you want to. There are countless places that are excellent spots to camp near the river or deep in the woods. Even in the summer when there have been tons of people at the campsites, driving just 2 minutes down the road made me feel like I was the only person in the world. It is so peaceful there. If you take the entrance going through Marysville then Granite Falls to the Mountain Loop Highway, you'll come across various B&B's on the way and fruit stands. You'll also see at the entrance a great log memorial to the wood there (see photo). I've seen owls, foxes, eagles, deer, and countless kinds of fish. A forest ranger stopped to check on me once when I was having a campfire with friends. He wanted to make sure we were OK and that our campfire was under control. He was kind and really cared about the woods and us. Go visit this natural beauty. It's incredible. read more

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest - 700 year old tree! - Parks Near Me - Everett, Washington

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I am an Eagle scout and I have hiked Philmont as the crew lead. I've hiked all over Washington. This is a dangerous forest. It is just as beautiful as any other WA park. The people who live near it are not friendly. It is worth driving a far distance to avoid the mountain loop highway. I was followed down the North Fork Sauk trail at dusk. For those of you not familiar it is pitch black because of the tree cover. Near the first 3 miles of trail. I was headed to the parking lot. Whatever it was, it was snapping twigs. When I rounded a bend and shone my flashlight behind me I saw two reflections that were someone's glasses about 30 feet from me. Whoever it was, they weren't using a flashlight so I guess I blinded them for a few minutes. They quickly darted behind the wall of earth leading to the bend. I flagged down a Ranger on my drive out and he didnt seem very concerned or surprised. I am confident it was not an animal. AND the fact that a girl went missing on a nearby trail a few years later gives me chills. Since this experience I have heard some stories about tunnels under abandoned cars and such. I will not be returning, at least not alone. read more

I absolutely loved this hike to the ice caves such a fun moderate hike to. Went with a big group had lunch out there that we brought. It was some really good times. Plus in beautiful Seattle. You must come here so much fun. Just bring extra food and water just Incase. read more

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This is one of my top favorite locations so far. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful on a March day. It's hard not to continuously pull over for photo opportunities. I'll definitely be back. read more

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This is one of the most beautiful forests I have ever laid my eyes on. It looks like the gods themselves handcrafted each and every detail- large or small alike. The snow capped mountains, peaks and valleys and the snow tipped trees were absolutely beautiful and stunning. read more

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If you're looking to escape Seattle for a day excursion, here's your place (although according to the USDA's website, it's the most visited national forest in the country!). It appears to be much less traveled by the city folks and only less than 1.5 hours northeast of Seattle. There are two routes tot he National Forest. The more popular entrance is from Marysville and Granite Falls to Mountain Loop Highway. The loop is closed during the winter. We took the northern (more desolate) entrance: Take 1-5N toward Arlington (exit to WA530) and continue to the small valley miner town of Darrington. The town does not have much to offer except a map of the region at the local grocer and free wi-fi in the library/city hall parking lot to plan out your day before losing cellular signal. Once you leave town, no facilities or other services seem to exist. It's just you and Mother Nature. Here's a picture of the map: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mt-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest-mountlake-terrace?select=6jcuJJ-Cj-isvBmZC4P2aQ#6jcuJJ-Cj-isvBmZC4P2aQ. There's also a virtual map here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5158097.gif When you're all set, continue on WA530 until Mountain Loop Highway/NF-20 spurs off south. Take that route and you'll hit the Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National Park welcome sign after about only a 10 minutes drive. The second trail, and said to be an easier trail is the Souk Trail, a total of 3 miles. Per locals, an easier option would be Coal Creek (or as they pronounce it, Coal Crik) Trail that ends with a waterfall and is found just before Sauk. We chose Sauk Trail... The scenery is gorgeous with what seems like natural healing powers. The air is full of Autumn leaves with moss covering every tree and plant in sight. Drops of fresh water drip from the pine trees that tower above. The only sounds heard is dew dribbling, crackling twigs, a bird's call and the Souk River. This river neighbors and crosses with the trail paying multiple visits, perfect to chow down on a protein snack. It is surrounded by snow capped mountains full of trees which disappear then reappear in a ghostly manner as the clouds and fog wrap around them at their leisure. If a moose or bear were sighted playing or hunting in the creek, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. Continue up the "highway" after getting your hiking boots worn in, you'll find multiple other difficult trails with jaw-dropping views of various snowy peaks like Whitehorse Mountain, White Chuck Mountain, Mount Pugh, Stillaguamish Peak, Glacier Peak. Mountain Loop Hwy becomes a single lane gravel route before you know it. Continue 3 minutes further to stop at the White Chuck Overlook with information on the logging and mining that once occurred in this part of the park. This is where my partner and I called it quits. There were many other trails we would love to take advantage of in the future, varying in length and leading to hidden lakes such as Peek-a-boo Lake (exit 2081, a 5 mile trail in total), Beaver Lake Trailhead, and Pugh Mountain Trail (exit 2095). Share your experiences here to let me know the adventures beyond the Overlook. Happy Exploring! read more

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I went camping with another female in the national forest. I've camped in several national forest (Kaibab, Los Padres, Mendocino, Stanislaus, etc.) and never had a negative experience until this. The men camping by us were shooting guns into the woods for hours. I asked them how long they were going to be shooting for because we wanted to go for a hike in the woods they were shooting into. They called us hippies, asked us if we were alone and continued to shoot guns until 2am while yelling "f***ing hippies" in our direction. We woke up with our tires slashed. We did not see a park ranger the entire time. We had to hitch hike into town with a man that asked us if we'd seen Deliverance and informed us "the men out here could really open you ladies' imaginations." I will not be going back. read more

Baker is our favorite place to ski! We love the staff and the two different lodges. We prefer the below lodge. You can rent a cabin for the weekend and eat at chair 9. It is a lot of fun! read more