This is an adventurous 8 mile hike to an interesting lake that has marsh elements along a lot of its shoreline. The ascent for the trek only amounts to about 1700 feet of elevation gain and the lake is beautiful. You are sure to see some fish jumping. The trail is in fair condition although there are quite a few downed trees along it. There are also some very dusty sections but this can be expected on many Washington trails this time of year. The main concern for most hikers would be the river crossing at the .75 mile mark. We found it best to remove our shoes and socks so we could walk barefoot across the approximately 50 feet of river that ranged from a few inches to a foot deep. I used trekking poles but still nearly slipped on the return trip. The road to this trailhead is in very bad shape in a few areas. Although 4 wheel drive isn’t necessarily required, there are some areas where clearance could be an issue. We were is a Land Rover LR4 and took it pretty slowly at around 10 mph in some areas. Our clearance gave us no problems with the road but a lower vehicle might have issues. We did see a 2019 Subaru Outback at the trailhead but the driver was surprised he made it. He said he went very slowly and carefully. A smaller Toyota behind us ended up turning back part way up.
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This is an adventurous 8 mile hike to an interesting lake that has marsh elements along a lot of its shoreline. The ascent for the trek only amounts to about 1700 feet of elevation gain and the lake is beautiful. You are sure to see some fish jumping. The trail is in fair condition although there are quite a few downed trees along it. There are also some very dusty sections but this can be expected on many Washington trails this time of year. The main concern for most hikers would be the river crossing at the .75 mile mark. We found it best to remove our shoes and socks so we could walk barefoot across the approximately 50 feet of river that ranged from a few inches to a foot deep. I used trekking poles but still nearly slipped on the return trip. The road to this trailhead is in very bad shape in a few areas. Although 4 wheel drive isn’t necessarily required, there are some areas where clearance could be an issue. We were is a Land Rover LR4 and took it pretty slowly at around 10 mph in some areas. Our clearance gave us no problems with the road but a lower vehicle might have issues. We did see a 2019 Subaru Outback at the trailhead but the driver was surprised he made it. He said he went very slowly and carefully. A smaller Toyota behind us ended up turning back part way up.
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3.8 mile loop from Tipsoo lake to Pacific Crest trail then hwy 410, back to Tipsoo lake. Beautifull views. Very crowded on the trail and vehicle parking. midweek or weekend.
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For a fall hike this was fairly easy with only 1000 feet of elevation. Cramer lake is only a field of weeds but continue on past the lake to the right to Otter lake and you won’t be disappointed. About 8 miles round trip.
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