August 7th, 2020

Packwood Lake is looking great right now, and is the perfect shaded hike for these hot summer days. The road to the trailhead is in great condition, and the trail wasn't too busy when I went.

The first four miles are through incredible old growth forest, and the elevation is minimal. The trail is coated with pine needles and is really soft, which was great for my dog, who's getting a bit older. Where the trail meets the lake there were quite a few people camping, so I decided to go another mile and a half around the side of the lake.

As I went, the campsites got prettier and prettier and the people fewer and fewer, and I met a girl trail running who told me about all the great lakes even further on (like Mosquito Lake and Lost Lake). I headed back down in after swimming around a bit, and stopped by the Packwood Brewery for a beer on my way home. Great trail and a great time! 

- Heather Miller