The views on this hike warrant a five star review for sure! Loads of waterfalls, mountains, and of…read morecourse trees and flowers to see on this route up to Rachel Lake. The problem? Not a clear trail at all. My hiking group and I found ourselves asking, "Is this trail?", numerous times on this extremely strenuous seemingly endless uphill trek to the lake. Now, granted, some of our group was in better shape than others and managed the physicality of the trail better than others but still we all agreed it was extremely hard. First you drive up a gravel road approximately 6 miles to get to the parking lot. One bathroom is available there which wasn't too gross. Once you enter the trail it starts heading up. And up and up and up. It is seemingly endless. I believe it about 4 plus miles up. The trail starts out fairly marked and easy to follow. Then it doesn't. Unfortunately I got separated from my group for a good portion of this hike due to my attempt to stay with the "faster" ladies, lol. I just kept going up. Thank goodness a few other people passed me to let me know I was on the right track. No trail at all really for a good portion and I merely followed a dry creek trail. Extremely rocky and loads of bushwhacking. I had to stop every five to ten feet to catch my breath. The steepness reminded me of a hike in Big Sur called Garrapata which after I competed that one I said I would never do again, lol. Now to the good parts of the hike. Gorgeous scenery beyond words! Loads of amazing waterfalls as you are following a creek flowing from a lake high above. The lake was outstandingly beautiful. I took a quick dip in the icy water at the top! Quickly it changed my outlook on the hike and cooled me off. Will I do it again? Maybe, but next time. I will bring more snacks for the hike that give me energy. I will start out slower and take more frequent deliberate breaks. And please please don't forget your mosquito repellent! Also, long pants as a large portion of this hike you go through tall grasses and overgrowth. I consider myself an experienced hiker when I was in CA, but here in WA, I am a beginner for sure. Stay hydrated and go at your own pace. This is worth it at least once. SYOY and No FOMO for me here! Lol.

Lake Rachel is a great hike if you're looking for a beautiful end view and lots of fun sights along…read morethe way. Unfortunately, the trail is not marked well and we went off path and up towards different falls a couple times but going off trail was worth it for the extra couple views we saw! Be prepared to get your feet wet and be careful climbing over the slippery rocks.

This lake has an amazing view of Mount Rainier if you are not looking to go directly to the…read moremountain. We came during the end of July (around 4PM) which is the best time to see all the beautiful wildflowers. It was really hot and there's so many bugs but this area is such a pretty place to take photos. We did leave with at least five mosquito bites so make sure to come prepared with bug spray and sunscreen! This is also right across from Naches Loop Trailhead and has parking as well; can only get down to the lake by staircase so this may be a struggle for those who are disabled. The view of the mountain is so pretty and totally worth it to stop by. The trail is also not hard so very kid friendly!

Tipsoo Lake is a beautiful location full of wildflowers, evergreens, various hiking trails, and a…read moregorgeous view of Mount Rainier on a clear day. The day we went it was really foggy outside early in the day and it was just starting to clear when we were ready to leave. But check out those Rainier photos from other hikers who were fortunate to have visited on a bright day. Spectacular! Tipsoo Lake is quite small and has a walking path around it that is flat and easy to walk for hikers of all abilities. Along that path you can find a variety of flowers (including those cool Lorax kind) as well as paths leading to other trails such as Naches Peak Loop. If you head up that trail a bit from the lake, you'll come to a bridge that goes over highway 410 and that can be a nice viewing point for kids. There are a small number of parking spaces (10 to 12) in a tiny lot right off of the freeway and you may be fortunate enough to snag a spot if you arrive early. Friendly reminder to mind the signs and stay on the trail to protect the surrounding land and flowers.

Had been stalking the White Pass/Shoe Lake area for windows of good weather the last month or two…read more(every weekend, it would conveniently be rainy/snowy up there!). Recently I saw the forecast open up for some sunny conditions---during the work week. I decided to make the trip---isn't that what vacation days are for?? I drove up to White Pass, from the east side, with clear blue skies the entire way. I parked on the highway (across from the Kracker Barrel at the base of the White Pass slopes). I slapped on my 35lb pack, grabbed my dogs, and we scrambled up the slopes. I like going this route (vs. starting at the Trailhead) because there are nice views and it cuts down on distance. It's a bear of a workout though! Once on the PCT, it's a nice, fairly flat, and scenic hike---y'know, the usual. Near the new ski run up on top, I heard/saw workers cutting/burning trees to clear way for the ski run (sometimes I wish I could make them turn the ski lift ON, so I could be taken all the way up to the Miriam Lake Basin....but what fun would that be?? I had seen evidence of recent snow every here and there (1-4" patches of snow). Once at the Miriam Lake Basin/Hogback Ridge, I made my way to Shoe Lake. There's one stretch of this big open piece of trail where there was quite a bit of hard icy snow. Camped above the beautiful Shoe Lake. I heard an elk bugling at around 7pm---it must have been south down the hill. Such a cool sound to hear! But it was also scary, because within seconds I also heard something very big plodding around nearby--definitely an elk. It was so close I could hear it breathing. A wee bit scary! (and cool) Oh, I did spy some huckleberries along the way, amazingly enough---but they weren't as good as the ones I picked 3weeks ago. Such a late season! The night yielded beautiful views of the Milky Way, constellations, Jupiter, satellites, and the like. The hike back was nice for most of the way. I saw a herd of mountain goats in the Miriam Lake Basin. The snow/ice mentioned earlier was pretty scary in the morning. The first clouds of the trip rolled in around 1pm...but I was pretty much done. While unloading at my car, an employee from the Kracker Barrel rode his bike to me. He was wondering where I was and if I was ok. Apparently, I forgot to roll my driver's side window up---so it was open for 24hrs!! Everything was fine, but I sure felt dumb. Anyway, probably my last backpacking trip of 2011. A great way to end the season!

I have been in this state park on numerous occasions. Take my airstream and hang out. It's a…read moregreat place to stage for traveling up and down the river. RV sites are large and open for the most part with electric, water and sewer. The winds at night are a riot during the hot parts of the summer. They blow like crazy. There is a day park separate from the RV park that you can walk to to swim and/or just relax. During the summer it is always crowded. Vantage has a gas station with food if you need it. Gorge is very close. Across the river are parks that are supported by Grant County PUD which are very nice and usually not many people. I'm impressed with the money and resources that Grant County PUD has put into the area. Just south of the Wanapum on the same road is a small park on a lake (small) that no one is ever there. Called the cove. If you have a boat you are in heaven with the Colombia River at your call.

Fun little park with toys for kids and a dock for fishing. Wish I had a kayak with me. The water…read morelooked dirty and swampy. No way in hell I am swimming in that. Lots of parking very quaint. Nice day to visit

I know my blood is surely super-scrumptious, but the mosquitoes at White Pass…read more(http://www.yelp.com/biz/shoe-lake-hike-via-pacific-crest-trail-naches) wear DEET chemical suits and had at my friend & I with abandon. Because of this, we amscrayed down the road from the Pass (to get away from the skeeter-infested lakes)--we didn't want to get a gory goose egg hikewise. :::::::::: ENTER Sand Ridge Trail :::::::::: We eye-spied this trailhead wile driving up to White Pass. It's a bit nondescript and easily ignorable while driving past it, but it turned out to be a decent gem. The trailhead has a fairly large area with a couple of large areas for parking. There's a portapotty thingie. There's a trailhead board with info about the trail (wish it had a topo map). You need a Wilderness Pass to use the trail (or you could leave $5 in the box). ** Off we went ** The trail quickly slaps you up-side the head with elevation. Now I'm a berry-feasting-fiend, so I was on the prowl. After the first switchback I spotted a some tiny mountain strawberries. They were a tad larger than peas, but they pack some potent punch. So, I made like a bear for a few moments and gorged (sorta like the skeeters from the Pass) ;) Then off we went. The weather was so-so on this summer day, but it was actually perfect hiking weather. It wasn't super hot, and the moments of rain were refreshing. We reached the top of the ridge fairly quickly. Within a few minutes we came across three people on horseback, and made small talk. We then pressed on, and came to a fork. Being Native, I have to claim above-average tracking skills. I was able to determine that the horses came from the trail to our right (which looked to go down the other side of the ridge). We decided to take the left one and continue along the ridge. The ridge went on quite a bit and actually continued gaining in elevation. We were waiting for nice views, but we were too surrounded by pines to sport a window. The trail continues like this for a while--a bit ho-hum. But after about 2.5-3 miles we sorta hit a leveling off of the ridge. I also noticed some sandy conditions on the trail....hence the name: Sandy Ridge. Up on top we managed to find a few views. We also noticed the return of: **drumroll** mosquitoes! So, at this point, we decided to turn around. Going down was no big whoop. Although I must admit to snagging a few more strawberries again. :) *************** EPILOGUE: After getting home, scoured the topo for the area we turned around and sure enough, we happened to be near a few alpine lakes up on top. It woulda been cool to check 'em out. We'll save that for next time, later in the season, when it's cooler, and the mosquitoes are sleeping.

My fiancé and I along with our small dog enjoyed this trail. We hiked it July 28 and literally…read moredidn't encounter a single mosquito like others have said. The Mosquitos are only a problem in the spring and early summer here I would imagine. The first mile or two of the trail was rather silt-dusty. 3 or so miles into the trail it forks and you can either stay on the trail or take shell rock trail through miss covered stands of old growth pines. There is only a 15 min stretch where you have very good views. We really enjoyed this trail and would recommend it to most. It seems steep and difficult for the first hour but the entire trail is shaded and it levels off after a few miles into a very pleasant and beautiful hike.

I am in love the the Lake Ingalls hike! My friend and I arrived at the trailhead Sunday morning…read morejust before 8 a.m. and already counted 120 cars at the trailhead. We parked about 0.3 miles from the trailhead. Cars lined both sides of the narrow road, despite a sign indicating for folks to only park on one side. There were some very questionable parking jobs on edges and cliffs. There was a small line waiting for the one toilet, which was not stocked with toilet paper (don't forget to bring your own + hand sanitizer). There were a couple surprises I had after reading other trip reports. The first one was that the road up to the trailhead was not bad at all. Sure, it was a little bumpy and there were a few potholes to watch out for, but it was seriously nothing compared to other trailheads I've been on. A sedan can easily make it up to the top with no problem. The second thing I found different than the trip reports was the level of difficulty. WTA rates this hike as expert, and I thought it was nowhere near expert. It really was a nice gradual incline with some rock scrambling at the top. Plus, there's beautiful sights to see the entire way up, so it was very pleasant. The trail was packed, but once my friend and I started hiking, we slowly spaced out from the others. Everyone we encountered was super kind and courteous. The only downside we had from the people was that this is a trail that does not allow dogs, and there were several we encountered (including one off leash who ran up to my friend and was a little nippy). There was also fresh dog poop right on the trail an owner had left behind. The lake at the top wasn't too busy. There were plenty of spots to sit to grab a bite to eat and admire the view. After the initial descent from the lake where there's a lot of rock scrambling and questioning if you're still on the trail (there's multiple ways up through the rocks, so just keep going and look for cairns), it's a steady decline that's easy on the knees. I will definitely be back!

This is about a 10 mile total hike. I'm not a very experienced hiker, so it too me a while to get…read moreup there. My boyfriend and I camped up at the top too. Up to the top, it's quite easy as in the trail and the incline should be fine if you have hiked a lot. At some point up the trail, it gets a little narrow and steep way down if you're not careful. Bless my boyfriend for carrying my camping bag too. At the top, there's a camp ground. It's near a river if you want to get water. There's also a toilet! It's a wooden box and it's a great view to take a dump at. From the campsite, it's about 1 mile to the lake at the top. There are cairn stacks along the way to reach the lake. Without following it, I'm sure you can still find it, but with it, it shows you an easy route to climb. The lake itself is very clear and very cold! I went in August and there was still some snow! There are also mountain goats! I found the best time to see them is in the morning. They come near the camp site too! I heard a baby mountain goat crying for it's mom too. It was so cool seeing them so close! You can see where they have even around since their fur gets caught on the branches.

Easy hike. Beautiful!!! The turquoise water is incredible! Came here with another couple and their…read morebaby - they were able to hike with the baby in a body carrier. Not stroller friendly.

Easy loop hike. A little bit of up then down then up kinda stuff. Its beautiful nature but really…read morenot much real view until the waterfall. Compared to skyline loop it isn't much. But its easy and quick.

Beautiful hike up the trail that Yakima Supreme Court justice - William O Douglas - used to hike…read moreduring his childhood. He had a polio like illness as a boy that left his legs weak and he found the outdoors to be both his playground and his gym! There's some really nice signage around the trail that explains how profound of an influence this area had on him personally and professionally! The hike starts out via the greenway or at Harlan Landing - off the ramp into Selah. There's a recent additional start to the hike that was recently added on the path from Harlan's landing and it makes the whole thing much shorter. The hike starts over a small flat area after which you go under some train tracks. The hike up the hill is a good steep climb but our 3, 5 and 7 year olds were able to trek it with minimal help. It was a tougher climb for the 3 year old and he spent a good portion on my shoulders but it didn't make the climb terrible on me. Up top the views of the valley, both Yakima and Selah were very pretty! There are some power lines and a cell station up top with a small abandoned shed next to it. It was a good spot for the little guys to explore and made for some solid pictures. The hike took us about 1.5 hours and was about 3 miles round trip from the parking lot. Not to long and with great views - (Adams is huge on a sunny day!) it's a wonderful way to spend your day!

This is a fantastic park. We went for a quick morning walk. It was more than we expected. Beautiful…read moreviews of the river and short but lovely trails through the woods. My bird app identified about a dozen bird species within a minute. A very special place.

Lots of activities Frisbee course water boarding. Kayaking, sunbathing, beside river nature walk,…read morepicnicking, swimming, rope swing (to be used at own risk and responsibly.). Connected with an under freeway bridge greenway walk to another park where you can take your dog besides having access to other side of lakes and nature trail.