Pinnacle Lake Trail is a 4.2 mile out and back trail located near Granite Falls, Washington that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
The Discover Pass is required for vehicular entrance to this park. An Annual Pass costs $30 and a Day Pass is $10. As of May 2020, road to the trailhead is blocked with snow. Please check weather and trail conditions before visiting.
Those weren’t pot holes, they were craters. If your car doesn’t have clearance, don’t try it. About 1/4 of the way the snow starts, but really it’s solid ice, I never fell through though because of it. Be wary of the trail, many tracks that wander into the woods and off trail, I had my map out the whole time or else I would’ve gotten lost.
4x4 needed for sure. Super muddy and hard to find trail at some points but very peaceful. Not a single person on the trail in the afternoon/evening which was SHOCKING for a weekend in Washington.
the road is is extremely rough, recommend 4x4 or AWD and not low as there are big holes. the trail is fun and challenging, definitely be prepared for deep mud and the creek that are unavoidable. also some climbing involved that's difficult for medium dogs. otherwise, beautiful lake and views and well worth the hike.
6 miles of road to the trail head are very rough. Do not even attempt it in a sedan - you will bottom out. Our Infiniti SUV made up there with no issues but we took it slow. Allow about 40 mins for the trip from Mountain Loop Highway to the trailhead, and I don't recommend driving this road at night when visibility is poor, so allow ample time to get back from the hike before sunset. The hike itself is very enjoyable, first half is kinda steep / rooty / slippery so bring trekking poles and take your time. It then levels off. Be prepared to climb over many fallen trees. The lake is beautiful, well worth the effort. Surprisingly, bugs were not an issue, I had my bug spray in my pack but didn't have to use it at all. Swing by Bear Lake on your way down, beautiful place, no elevation change at all.
The trail was pretty tricky in spots, lots of roots and climbing over obstacles along the way, certainly not a “kept” trail like others in the area. Then there’s the road going up to the trail, which was quite possibly the worst part. The road is located a few miles after the Lake 22 trailhead to the right (the directions here took us elsewhere) and it is marked. The road is COVERED in unavoidable potholes, unless you have 4 wheel drive I wouldn’t even attempt. It’s 6 miles of a very rough road, it took us almost an extra hour to drive up. That being said, the end destination was very much worth it.
It w As a good hike with a new friend. We both enjoyed the hike. Good views of Glacier peak and Mt Baker
Hiked this with friends on Tuesday 8/25 beautiful sunny day. The road up to Pinnacle rough for an average vehicle but 4×4 or AWD should have no problem. Six miles full of potholes till you reach the top. Enjoyed the hike, a few trees to climb over or under. Muddy in spots, lots of roots and rocks. Switch backs most of the way, the lake was gorgeous at the end. Good hiking boots and trekking poles a must..
The road and trail path conditions are both very rough! The lakes are pretty but I don’t recommend going here. It looks like a 1hr 30mins during from bellevue but it is actually 2 hrs because the road condition before the trailhead was terrible terrible! My tires would decrease 1 year life at least.
This should be marked as non-trail in the alltrails app ;). First like everyone said, the path after pinnacle lake is completely off trail. So plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time. I ran out of daylight and turned back a mile from summit.. The trail to lake itself is full of exposed roots and not very ankle friendly. But it is very bug friendly especially around the lakes. It’s like heaven for them. The road to trailhead is like driving through sinkholes - car makers take a note and use this to test your cars ;). Unless someone really tells me that the view at the top is one of the best in PNW, I doubt I am coming back here.