Go North Cascades - Recreation Guide to Lakes, Rivers, Forests and Mountains
HOME   |   HIGHWAY 20 / NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY   |   MOUNTAIN LOOP HIGHWAY   |   PACIFIC CREST TRAIL   |   MT. BAKER HIGHWAY   |   HIGHWAY 2 / STEVENS PASS
SHOP   |   HIKING   |   KAYAKING   |   MOTORCYCLE   |   CAMPING   |   ICE / ROCK CLIMBING   |   BIKING   |   HUNTING   |   FISHING   |   SNOW SPORTS   |   CONTACT  |   LINKS

Essential Gear

Find hiking, camping, and general backcountry supplies in our Essential Gear section. Click on Shop

Tools and Resource Information

SNOW REPORT: View listings of Washington State's top areas for Ski / Snowboarding

FOREST SERVICE: Washington State National Parks and Forests and Phone Numbers for Washington State Forest Service and National Parks

INTRODUCTION: Seattle Recreation and the North Cascades



North Cascades Recreation and Trail Guide



Independence Lake Trail
Mountain Loop Highway

To get the Independence Lake trail, go up the Mountain Loop Highway until reaching the 61.8 mile post.

Take a right onto Coal Lake Road #4060. Travel 4.8 miles up the road before arriving at the trailhead located at the end of this road. This is an hour of a hike on a well maintained trail. There is a small elevation gain of 500 feet, and a moderate 1.6 mile hike. The trail starts with a clear cut forest that was recently planted in the beggining of the 60s. This recently planted forest turns into old growth timber by the end of the hike. Once you reach the lake there are camping sites on both the north and the south sides of the lake. Great area for family picnicking, backpacking/camping, fishing, and even makes for a great swimming hole.






Find a Hike

Highway 20 Hiking
Mountain Loop Highway Hiking
Mt Baker Highway Hiking
Highway 2 Hiking
GoNorthCascades.com attempts to list hiking trails as we either trek them ourselves, have them recommended by friends or other readers, or read about them through other resources, such as books, news articles, and websites.

The Fly Smith

Photo Gallery
Photo by Tom Hughes, Lake 22 Photo by Tom Hughes, Lake 22 Big Four Ice Caves - Photo by Tom Hughes Mt. Pilchuck - Photo by Tom Hughes Mt. Pilchuck - Photo by Tom Hughes Mt. Pilchuck - Photo by Tom Hughes Mt. Pilchuck - Photo by Tom Hughes Mt. Pilchuck - Photo by Tom Hughes Big Four Ice Caves - Photo by Tom Hughes Big Four Ice Caves - Photo by Tom Hughes

GoNorthCascades.com

All content on this site is either the property of GoNorthCascades.com or belongs to one of our readers who has submitted either a trail review, article, or photo. For reprint requests, contact either the reader who has provided the content or use our contact form to contact one of our staff.
Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.