Mount St. Helens - Monitor Ridge
1 week ago
Snow-covered at times; gear and expertise recommended
4 this month · 67 reports
Lakes Trail
South Cascades
updated 1 month ago
The Lakes Trail near Mount St. Helens is currently in good condition, with fall colors becoming beautiful as of October 1. The trail is snow-free, and the road access is suitable for all vehicles. Bugs are no longer an issue, with reports from October 1 noting their absence. While most of the trail is clear, some sections can be brushy, particularly after rain, as noted in a report from August 29. Minor obstacles like washouts and erosion have been addressed by trail crews, with July 23 reporting significant work on washouts, though some tricky spots might still exist. Water is available at Grizzly Creek, but is a significant distance from some trail sections, as noted on July 23.
Generated from 25 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Lakes Trail
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 1 month ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 1 month, so everything below is at least that old.
As of October 1, the trail is in good condition. While previous reports from July 23 mentioned washouts and overgrown sections, WTA work parties have been addressing these. A report from August 29 indicated that downed trees had been removed and stream crossings were manageable, though some brushiness was noted after rain.
Yes, the road to the trailhead is reported to be suitable for all vehicles as of October 1. There are no recent reports indicating any issues with road access.
The last reliable water source noted was Grizzly Creek, as of July 23. This is a significant distance from some trail sections, and it's advisable to carry sufficient water, especially for backpacking trips.
More in South Cascades
Boundary Trail
1 month ago
Trail has spots with overgrown bushes
1 this month · 33 reports
Boundary West
2 weeks ago
Path has sinkholes with plants growing out of them
1 this month · 29 reports
Ape Caves
3 weeks ago
Scrambling over huge boulders and an 8-foot wall
1 this month · 19 reports
Ape Canyon
3 weeks ago
Mountain goats often visible on the plains
1 this month · 17 reports
Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
5 months ago
Rocky ridges and hot dusty climbs
48 reports
Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Older1 month ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
A glorious day at Coldwater Lake! I hiked to the end of the lake, sat on the beach for a while, and marveled. The fall color is beautiful.I arrived at 8AM and didn't see another soul (except for two b...
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
I participated in Daybreak Racing's Backcountry Rise trail race. This was such a fun event at a beautiful location! Daybreak put on a great event event so I recommend participatin gin the future!The h...
Older3 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
This was a two night backpacking trip from Coldwater Lake trailhead. Hiked out on the Lakes trail with the first night at Shovel Lake. Very thankful to run into the WTA work party fixing the washouts....
Older3 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
Our multi night WTA crew did what we could for the washouts, considering the sandy soil, hot sun, and steep conditions. The last washout headed towards snow lake is still a bit sketchy but much improv...
Older3 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
I did the same loop as smith07 and took the same number of days, but was a day ahead and camped at Snow Lake and Dome Camp. So apparently i was a day ahead of WTA too. I didn't mind the trail con...
Older3 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
Took a Saturday to run around coldwater lake. The road is closed right after the hummocks trail head, so we parked at hummocks and ran on the road for the first mile. Wild flowers were blooming, and v...
Older4 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
I did the Lakes loop starting at Reflection Lakes. I took the trail that goes to Mazama Ridge and starts beyond the far end of the parking lot. It was great! At the beginning were little ponds, and th...
Older4 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
Did a one-night trip (Sunday June 21 to Monday June 22) into the Mount Margaret Backcountry, entering from the Norway Pass trailhead, and taking the Boundary and Lakes trails to Shovel Lake (almost 8 ...
Older5 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
We took the trail along Coldwater Lake, beginning at the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. Few people there on this sunny day. We left around 11 AM and dropped 600 feet the the lake side and then up an...
Older5 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
Boundary Trail/Margaret Camp/Lake Trail Loop.30ish miles on June 1st and 2nd.Pulled into the Hummocks Trailhead around 1:15 PM. At the trailhead, the sun was already beating down. It was warm, sweat-i...