WESTERN WASHINGTON

Summary

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Lake Twenty-Two is a gorgeous alpine lake close to Mt Pilchuck. Easy to access off the Mountain Loop Highway this hike is convenient for those who prefer not to drive down long dirt roads and pretty enough to make just about anyone happy.

Trail Stats

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Trail Details

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Shortly outside the small town of Granite Falls lays the trailhead parking lot for Lake Twenty-Two. This hike is shockingly popular, meaning the lot fills up quickly, primarily on weekends. Plan to arrive early to secure a spot or later in the day once crowds have cleared out.

The trail is open year round, though it is prone to avalanche in winter months. Do be aware if you choose to visit in the snow.

This is a trail I’ve done multiple times. The first was by far the most memorable. Eons ago, Doug (whom I was dating at the time), one of his buddies and I decided one June weekend to hike. Now, if you know anything about June in the greater Seattle region, you know that June is a wet month. The sun is not reliable until July 5th. For real. However, if you wait until the two nice months the area offers, you miss out. So off we went on a typical cloudy Seattle day.

The hike itself is nice. You’ll stroll thru old growth forest. It’s lovely. The trail is frequently damp to full on wet in parts. A nice bridge crosses Creek 22 and offers a lovely photo op. I always love the bridge pictures!

After a while you’ll head under a slope, here’s where you’ll need to proceed with caution in winter time. I remember joking around and laughing along the trail. Back then, we did not hike much and this was a long trail for Doug and I. Soon the lake appeared in all its glory, along with a drizzle of rain. No worries, we have rain jackets for a reason. Never mind we were all wearing jeans (all I had back in the day).

Naturally we had to get a photo! The lake is lovely. Sometimes you can see Mt Pilchuck, if the clouds behave.

The drizzle quickly turned into rain. There’s a difference. Our trio decided to head back down the hill. And then heaven’s gates opened and it poured. Dumping buckets of torrential rain. Sheets of rain. The trail became a full on waterfall. We were walking through an inch of water at all times. Shoes were soaked through. Those jeans? There wasn’t a dry spot on them. It was raining so hard I could not tell if I had water or snot running down my face. Who knows, likely both.

There is a path that navigates around Lake Twenty-Two if you’d like to enjoy the lake more. There are nice big rocks to sit upon while admiring the view and, of course, while having a snack.

Needless to say, once we arrived back to the car there wasn’t a dry spot on any of us. We clambered in the car and immediately steamed out all the windows as the car heated up. While we waited for the windows to clear the rain stopped. And the sun shone down on us. Go figure. Certainly memorable and it still makes me smile when I look back on that day.

For specific trail details, visit my favorite hiking website, WTA.org

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