Rock Lake Trail
Follow this primitive track up to a small alpine lake.
Total Distance: 4.4 miles
Total Ascent: 2200ft (1500ft in; 700ft out)
Highest Point: 5300ft
Total Ascent: 2200ft (1500ft in; 700ft out)
Highest Point: 5300ft
To get there, take Highway 2 out past Skykomish just beyond milepost 50. Take a right onto FR 68, also known as the Foss River Road. Continue on the road for 4.7 miles (the road becomes gravel after about a mile) to a junction with FR 6840. Veer left and follow FR 6840 for another 3.4 miles to the junction with FR 6846. Head left and drive 2.3 miles past the signed Evans Lake Trailhead to the end of the road for the unofficial Rock Lake trailhead. View Google Directions >>
Park at the end of FR 6846. Backtrack down the road a few dozen feet to a small unmarked path on the left (west) side of the road. Follow it up into the brush and trees, ducking under branches as you pick your way up to a ridgeline where the path widens into something of a trail. Follow the ridge as it climbs straight up the mountainside. At 0.8 the trail drops down to an unnamed tarn and skips across the outlet creek, before beginning a tough and very steep scramble up to a rocky prominence that offers views of Evans Lake below. The trail can fade or become lost under blowdowns so when in doubt, head up, up, up.
Soon descend down to hidden Rock Lake, straddled by Malachite Peak’s tall cliffs. A small island in the lake draws the eye as does the large waterfall spilling down into the lake from the cliffs above. If you’re spending the night, there are a few campsites along the water. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can follow a faint trail 0.3 miles around the edge of the lake to the base of the waterfall.There's a lot more to Rock Lake, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!
Soon descend down to hidden Rock Lake, straddled by Malachite Peak’s tall cliffs. A small island in the lake draws the eye as does the large waterfall spilling down into the lake from the cliffs above. If you’re spending the night, there are a few campsites along the water. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can follow a faint trail 0.3 miles around the edge of the lake to the base of the waterfall.There's a lot more to Rock Lake, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!
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