Minotaur Lake is a short, steep hike with big payoff

Want to get out for a hike and work up a sweat, but don’t have a lot of time? Have I got the hike for you.

I tested out Minotaur Lake off U.S. 2 this weekend. I’m really surprised I’d never heard of this hike before.

The trailhead is about 90 minutes from Everett and the hike is only 3.5 miles long. So, you can get an early start and be back home in plenty of time for an early dinner.

Don’t let the length of the trail fool you, though. This is a short trek, but it’s not easy.

From the trailhead, the trail immediately starts up. It’s a bit faint at the very start, but just head straight uphill. It will quickly become easy to follow as it climbs. There are very few switchbacks here. This trail just goes straight uphill. Right now, the ground is dry and the trail is a bit crumbly in a few spots. You will also have to navigate a few trees across the path. None of them present a major obstacle.

The trail will climb about 1,000 feet in less than a mile. That first mile is a boring hike. But don’t despair. It’s worth it. After about a mile, the trail levels off a bit and you wander through meadows of huckleberry. The berries we could find were delicious.

After 1.75 miles — it feels like longer, my guidebook promised, and it really does — you’ll reach the lake. The lake is set in a gorgeous bowl and you’ll find a number of excellent flat rocks to eat lunch on. I think the best lunch spots are on the west side of the lake (keep left as you reach it.)

The guidebook said to expect company, but we ate a leisurely lunch without seeing another soul. We eventually saw two other groups of hikers, but it certainly wasn’t crowded up there.

We took the chance to jump in for a quick swim after lunch. An osprey circled overhead while we swam.

Before you leave, be sure to check out the other side of the lake. A very short climb will give you an excellent view down to Theseus Lake.

The trip down will be faster than the way up, but your knees might complain a little. Go slow on some of the looser sections of trail; they can get slippery.

Directions

Follow U.S. 2 east four miles past the summit at Stevens Pass. When the highway divides, turn left immediately onto Smith Brook Road. This will put you on Forest Road 6700. Keep on this road. At about 5 miles, you will reach a fork on the road. Keep left at the fork, following the sign pointing toward Lake Wenatchee. At a total of 6.8 miles after leaving U.S. 2, turn left on Forest Road 6704. The road dead-ends at the trailhead after about a mile. You’ll need a Northwest Forest Pass for parking.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.