Lake 22
Lake Twenty-Two Trail to the lake
The Route
A forest and talus trail reaches Lake 22 beneath the north face of Mount Pilchuck.
- Lake 22 TrailheadRainforest approach
- Twenty-Two Creek Bridge0.6 mile
- Talus Slope1.5 to 2.1 miles
- Upper Wetland ForestApproach to basin
- Lake Outlet Bridge2.7 miles one way
Rainforest & Twenty-Two Creek
Stone steps, raised trail sections and bridges cross wet ground among old-growth cedar and hemlock. The bridge over Twenty-Two Creek is 0.6 mile from the trailhead; smaller creek beds also cross the lower approach.
Talus Traverse
At 1.5 miles the trail leaves the forest for an open talus slope with views toward Whitehorse and Three Fingers. It returns to forest around 2.1 miles, then passes wetter ground approaching the basin.
Lake Outlet & Shoreline
The lake-outlet bridge is reached at 2.7 miles, beneath Mount Pilchuck's north face. The 5.4-mile figure is the outlet return; continuing around the shoreline is additional distance. The trail lies within Lake Twenty-Two Research Natural Area.
Terrain Along the Route
Old-growth forest and creek crossings give way to a talus section, then wet forest and the lake outlet.
Approximate guide figures for the named route and endpoint, not a current measured track. Reference Set: 2026-10-23.
Weather
Current forecasts open at the providers below. NWS forecasts describe a terrain grid cell, not an exact summit.
Access
Lake 22 Trailhead, Mountain Loop Highway, WA
Driving Approach
From Granite Falls, follow Mountain Loop Highway past Verlot. WTA locates the signed turnoff 2.5 miles beyond the national-forest entrance, shortly after crossing Twenty-Two Creek.
Parking & Facilities
The gravel-loop parking area holds roughly 50 cars and has a privy. Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is listed for parking.
Forest Day-Use Payment
The forest accepts Northwest Forest and America the Beautiful passes at fee sites. Its scan-and-pay system can work offline when the Recreation.gov app was installed beforehand.
Source information checked 2026-10-23. Road snapshots are dated separately.
Reports
Lake 22 Hiker Reports
WTA's Lake Twenty-Two reports can describe the lower creek crossings, open talus section, outlet and optional shoreline circuit. Outlet-only trips and lake circuits do not have the same distance.
Forest Road & Trail Alerts
The Darrington-area trail and access-road restrictions are published in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie forest alerts, separate from hiker observations.
Links open the publishers’ report pages. Reports are not automatically imported or filtered to a forecast date.