Lake Serene trail No. 1068
What: A strenuous stretch above the Skykomish River.
Where: Take U.S. 2 past Gold Bar, turn right at mile post 35.2 onto the Mount Index Road, turn right at the next road, 0.3 miles in, drive a hundred yards to the parking lot.
Length: 7 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: Hard.
Beginning elevation: 640 feet.
Ending elevation: 2,250 feet.
Permit: Northwest Forest Pass
Map: Green Trails No. 142, Index
Notes: Overcrowded during the summer, the Lake Serene trail still has a lot to offer on lonely winter days. The trail sustained some damage in last week’s floods, but is still passable. Be sure to take the half-mile long side path to the Bridal Veil Falls overlook 1.7 miles from the trailhead. Back on the main trail, you’ll get views of the Index Wall, Mount Baring and the rest of the Skykomish River basin as you climb up to Lake Serene. Above the lake, Mount Index towers another 2,000 feet straight up.
Andy Wineke
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