Serene Lake - Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie
National Forest, Washington
October 21, 2018
Distance: 9.51 miles
Time: 5 hours, 50 minutes.
Calories: 2,130.
Difficulty: Medium
Elevation Gain: 3,314.3 ft
Entrance Fee: We used our America The
Beauty Pass.
This was one of our favorite hikes, the
weather was perfect, the distance and difficulty were just what we needed. We
had heard a lot about Lake Serene and decided to give it a try. To do this
trail, you need to have a Northwest Forest Pass or America The Beauty Pass.
The trail is divided in two sections, the Bridal
Veil Falls Trail is an easy 4-mile round trip hike. The second part is the Lake
Serene Trail which is about 8-mile round trip. Please notice that the entrance
sign states it is a 3.6 or 7.2 round mail trip, however once you reach Lake
Serene, you can walk to Lunch Rock, and in our case, the GPS end up with a total
of 9.51-mile round trip visiting Bridal Veil, Serene Lake, and Lunch Rock.
To reach this trail, take Highway 2 east
towards Gold Bar. Before reaching the Skykomish River bridge, take a right into
Mount Index Road, then another right about one quarter mail into the parking lot.
Plan to arrive early as this is a very popular trail and the parking gets full
fast. Watch for the parking signs as there are many places in which parking is
not permitted.
Once you reach the headtrail, you will see
the registration box and the sign with the trail information and the passes
honored. The first part of the hike is easy and offers amazing views, the fall colors
are pretty.
About 1 mile in, you
will see a fork, stay to the right. The trail has multiple streams and wooden
bridges, of course, you know how much we love wooden bridges! Here are some
pictures of them.
About 1.6 miles in, you will see the fork
towards Bridal Veil, it is absolutely worth it! It is a 1-mile round trip full
of stairs. The top section is a loop, if you go left, you will have a clear view
of the entire fall, if you go right, you can literally walk udder the waterfall.
Take your time, enjoy the sounds of nature and click some really awesome
pictures!
Back
in the Lake Serene Trail, continue for about 1.5 miles towards Lake Serene. The views
along the path are nice. The last mile gains constant elevation and it strenuous,
however, the reward is worth it.
When you reach the sign indicating there
is not camping or campfires within ¼ mile of Lake Serene, prepare yourself for a
glimpse of the lake, congratulations! You made it to Lake Serene. Check out the
view
Continue to the right to visit Lunch Rock
and, as the name suggest, enjoy your snacks, the sun, and the view. If you
reach between 12 and 1 pm, we will strongly suggest waiting until Mount Index to the right covers the sun, it creates a perfect scene that is mesmerizing.
Tips:
Arrive early as the parking lot fills out fast.
Visit Bridal Veil on your way to Lake Serene,
if you don’t, you might be too tired on your way back and be tempted to miss
it.
Bring food and snacks so that you can
spend some time at Lunch Rock.
Aim to reach Lunch Rock by 12 so that you
have enough time to eat and see the different shades in the lake as the sun
moves behind the mountains.
See you next time!