Emerald Lake hike
Emerald Lake is located in the heart of a steep-walled, glacially carved Hoodoo Canyon. the hike to this little gem is short, but you can spend all day in the canyon.
Round trip: 6.2 miles
Elevation gain: 650 feet
Trailhead: At milepost 337 on SR 20, between Republic and Kettle Falls, head north on FR 020. Drive for five miles to Trout Lake and the trailhead.
Emerald Lake is located in the heart of the steep-walled, glacially carved Hoodoo Canyon. The hike to this little gem is short, but you can spend all day in the canyon. The trail begins at pretty Trout Lake, at the head of the canyon.
Start in a cool forest of cedar and fir, cross the outlet of Trout Lake, and immediately begin to climb. At first your surroundings are quite lush; the trail plows through a forest of salal, snowberry, current, thimbleberry, maple, birch, and dogwood. But as you switchback out of the damp canyon floor to a ledge along the canyon wall, a new landscape emerges - one with greater exposure to the sun.
Traverse across the sun-baked eastern wall of the canyon. Giant ponderosa pines provide some shade. After two miles, Emerald Lake comes into view far below in the canyon. A short descent begins across an open, grassy shelf, providing precious warmth in early season or brutal heat come July.
The junction with the Emerald Lake Trail is just beyond. Turn left. In just over half a mile and 200 feet in elevation loss, you'll arrive at the shores of the lake at the bottom of the canyon. Let your mood dictate the plan. Explore nearby boulder fields, take a cooling dip, or sit and reflect by the quiet waters.
