Frog Mountain
5 days ago
Fall color is arriving and peaking
12 this month · 93 reports
West Fork Foss River and Lakes
Central Cascades
updated 6 days ago
The West Fork Foss River trail is currently snow-free and the road to the trailhead is suitable for all vehicles. Hikers should expect numerous blowdowns across the trail, particularly between Trout Lake and Copper Lake, with some requiring significant effort to navigate over or around. While the trail is generally well-maintained, there are sections with overgrowth and rocky terrain. The lakes, including Trout, Copper, Little Heart, and Big Heart, are reportedly beautiful and offer good swimming opportunities. Crowds appear moderate, with parking lots filling up by mid-morning on weekends.
Generated from 70 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about West Fork Foss River and Lakes
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 6 days ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
The road is reported as suitable for all vehicles as of September 19, 2026. Earlier reports from August also indicated good condition with some minor potholes on FS 6835 that were easy to navigate around.
Multiple reports from late July through September 2026 mention numerous blowdowns across the trail. The area between Trout Lake and Copper Lake is frequently cited as having the most obstacles, with some described as challenging to cross.
On recent weekend reports from August and September 2026, the trailhead parking lot was 7/8 full by 8:00 AM on Saturday and had about 6 vehicles by 8:45 AM on a Monday. Some reports mention cars parked on the roadside, suggesting the lot can become full.
Most recent reports from late August and September 2026 state that bugs were not bad or non-existent. However, a report from August 2nd mentioned bugs being an annoyance, though manageable with repellent.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Fresh6 days ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Perfect weather for a last summer backpacking weekend. Road was in great condition. Arrived at the trailhead around 8:00am on Saturday and lot was 7/8 full. The trek to Trout Lake was easy. The trail ...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
This was a plan B hike since my plan A was out due to wildfires in the area.Roads: Both FS 68 & 6835 were in good shape. Some potholes on 6835, easy to drive around and not big enough to swallow your ...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Great overnight hike to Big Heart lake. Cloudy skies and a little rain on the way in made for some nice cover on the climb up to the upper elevation lakes. Update on previous trip reports the trail ...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Lots of ripe blueberries! Also salmon berries and thimbleberries if you look for them.Camped at Copper Lake for two nights. Found the idea of hiking packless more enjoyable than making camp at Big Hea...
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
After reading trip reports about the loop hike from the West Fork Foss to the Necklace Valley trailheads, I decided the challenge of the traverse is beyond my comfort and skill set so I opted for some...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Overnight trip 8/15-8/17. We took the Alpine Lakes High Route over Iron Cap and camped at Chetwoot Lake and Tank Lakes. This was a challenging trip that we'd been looking forward to doing for a while,...
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
I attempted to hike to Atrium Peak today. I ended up spending so much time at the amazing lakes and viewpoints that I didn't quite make it. Hiking past Big Heart Lake might be better as an overnight r...
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Hiked up West Fork Foss River to the highpoint on the ridge between Big Heart Lake and Angeline Lake. Short side trip to Lake Malachite on the way down.Road Conditions.5 miles of unpaved road. The fir...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
We were a group of 6 (2 men, 4 teenage boys), on a 3-day backpacking trip as one of our church's youth group activities. We had planned to camp at Big Heart, but enough of us had issues in the first h...
Older1 month ago
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
Decided to backpack an easy 3day 2 night trip. Started late the first day and just got to Trout Lake before the sun set. Beautiful lake and trail easy to follow. Next day we made it up to Big Heart La...