Difference between revisions of "June Lake Hike"
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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The wide trail gently climbs through a young forest along June Creek. The woods are composed of Douglas-fir, a few noble firs, silver fir, and western hemlock. Willow and cottonwood shade the creek to the left. Small lodgepole pine grow trailside. In late summer, there are huckleberries to savor. Big stumps attest to logging of old growth decades ago. A short spur left leads to a view of the creek. Then you enter more mature forest and get a good view of the Worm Flows on the south slope of [[Mount Saint Helens]]. The Green Knoll on the Monitor Ridge climbing route is prominent. You'll enter an old growth zone, where you cross June Creek on a small footbridge near a huge Douglas-fir and massive hemlocks. Enter the open ash-fill area by small, sparkling [[June Lake]] with willow, hemlock and alder regenerating on the flat. Snags in the water are trees killed by a rise in the lake level caused by sediment from the 1980 eruption. A 40-foot waterfall plunges on the far side of the lake. Red-legged frogs make the lake their home. Caddis fly larvae crawl in the shallows, and swifts zoom down to grab insects on the surface. Spotted sandpipers and dippers prospect from the shore. The bare slopes of [[Mount Saint Helens]] rise above. | The wide trail gently climbs through a young forest along June Creek. The woods are composed of Douglas-fir, a few noble firs, silver fir, and western hemlock. Willow and cottonwood shade the creek to the left. Small lodgepole pine grow trailside. In late summer, there are huckleberries to savor. Big stumps attest to logging of old growth decades ago. A short spur left leads to a view of the creek. Then you enter more mature forest and get a good view of the Worm Flows on the south slope of [[Mount Saint Helens]]. The Green Knoll on the Monitor Ridge climbing route is prominent. You'll enter an old growth zone, where you cross June Creek on a small footbridge near a huge Douglas-fir and massive hemlocks. Enter the open ash-fill area by small, sparkling [[June Lake]] with willow, hemlock and alder regenerating on the flat. Snags in the water are trees killed by a rise in the lake level caused by sediment from the 1980 eruption. A 40-foot waterfall plunges on the far side of the lake. Red-legged frogs make the lake their home. Caddis fly larvae crawl in the shallows, and swifts zoom down to grab insects on the surface. Spotted sandpipers and dippers prospect from the shore. The bare slopes of [[Mount Saint Helens]] rise above. | ||
| − | If you want to ski or snowshoe to [[June Lake]] in winter, park at Marble Mountain Sno-Park (a Washington Sno-Park Pass will be required). Follow the closed road one mile to the [[June Lake Trailhead]]; alternatively, you may take Pine Marten Trail No. 245E - it goes parallel to the road and is off-limits to snow machines. The trail starts at the far end of the trailhead parking lot. The round-trip in winter is 4.8 miles. | + | If you want to ski or snowshoe to [[June Lake]] in winter, park at Marble Mountain Sno-Park (a Washington Sno-Park Pass will be required). Follow the closed road one mile to the [[June Lake Trailhead]]; alternatively, you may take Pine Marten Trail No. 245E - it goes parallel to the road and is off-limits to snow machines. The trail starts at the far end of the trailhead parking lot. The round-trip in winter is 4.8 miles. The June Lake Trail is also the standard approach, known as the "Worm Flows Route," to the summit of [[Mount Saint Helens]] from November to April or May. |
=== Side trip options === | === Side trip options === | ||
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* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/giffordpinchot/recarea/?recid=41595 Trail #216B June Lake (USFS)] | * [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/giffordpinchot/recarea/?recid=41595 Trail #216B June Lake (USFS)] | ||
* [https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/june-lake June Lake (Washington Trails Association)] | * [https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/june-lake June Lake (Washington Trails Association)] | ||
| + | * [http://www.nwhiker.com/GPNFHike44.html June Lake Hike (Northwest Hiker)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.iheartpacificnorthwest.com/hike-mount-st-helens-june-lake-worm-flows/ Mount St. Helens – June Lake + Worm Flows (I Heart Pacific Northwest)] | ||
* [https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/washington/june-lake June Lake (Outdoor Project)] | * [https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/washington/june-lake June Lake (Outdoor Project)] | ||
* [https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/june-lake-hike-mount-saint-helens-washington/ June Lake in Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (Hikespeak)] | * [https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/june-lake-hike-mount-saint-helens-washington/ June Lake in Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (Hikespeak)] | ||
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* [http://www.landscapeimagery.com/junelake.html June Lake & Loowit Trail (Landscape Imagery)] | * [http://www.landscapeimagery.com/junelake.html June Lake & Loowit Trail (Landscape Imagery)] | ||
* [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/june-lake-trail June Lake Trail (All Trails)] | * [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/june-lake-trail June Lake Trail (All Trails)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.pdxmonthly.com/travel-and-outdoors/snowshoe-in-solitude-at-june-lake Snowshoe in Solitude at June Lake (Portland Monthly)] | ||
Revision as of 22:53, 21 October 2021
- Start point: June Lake Trailhead
- End point: June Lake
- Hike Type: Out and back
- Distance: 2.8 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 440 feet
- High point: 3,140 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: June-November for hiking, snowshoe from Marble Mountain Sno-Park in the winter
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Hike Description
This delightful, easy hike is a great choice for the family, and is a good backpack option for the young 'uns. June Lake is one of Mount Saint Helens' barrier lakes, where 2,000 years ago pyroclastic flows dammed one of the eastern tributaries of Swift Creek. The lake became further silted up by airborne debris from the 1980 eruption. There are campsites near the lake, but make sure you pitch your tent more than 100 feet from the lake shore. While the lower section of the trail was logged in the past, there are some impressive old growth conifers near the lake.
The wide trail gently climbs through a young forest along June Creek. The woods are composed of Douglas-fir, a few noble firs, silver fir, and western hemlock. Willow and cottonwood shade the creek to the left. Small lodgepole pine grow trailside. In late summer, there are huckleberries to savor. Big stumps attest to logging of old growth decades ago. A short spur left leads to a view of the creek. Then you enter more mature forest and get a good view of the Worm Flows on the south slope of Mount Saint Helens. The Green Knoll on the Monitor Ridge climbing route is prominent. You'll enter an old growth zone, where you cross June Creek on a small footbridge near a huge Douglas-fir and massive hemlocks. Enter the open ash-fill area by small, sparkling June Lake with willow, hemlock and alder regenerating on the flat. Snags in the water are trees killed by a rise in the lake level caused by sediment from the 1980 eruption. A 40-foot waterfall plunges on the far side of the lake. Red-legged frogs make the lake their home. Caddis fly larvae crawl in the shallows, and swifts zoom down to grab insects on the surface. Spotted sandpipers and dippers prospect from the shore. The bare slopes of Mount Saint Helens rise above.
If you want to ski or snowshoe to June Lake in winter, park at Marble Mountain Sno-Park (a Washington Sno-Park Pass will be required). Follow the closed road one mile to the June Lake Trailhead; alternatively, you may take Pine Marten Trail No. 245E - it goes parallel to the road and is off-limits to snow machines. The trail starts at the far end of the trailhead parking lot. The round-trip in winter is 4.8 miles. The June Lake Trail is also the standard approach, known as the "Worm Flows Route," to the summit of Mount Saint Helens from November to April or May.
Side trip options
To extend the hike, you may continue over a lava field 1/4 mile to the Loowit Trail. Take the Loowit Trail west (left) and continue just over a mile to reach another 40-foot waterfall - Chocolate Falls. In the right conditions, the falls' water is so saturated with ash from the volcano that it indeed looks like chocolate milk. However, the hike to Chocolate Falls would involve several traverses over lava fields and may be difficult for children. With a side hike to Chocolate Falls, the total trip will be 5.7 miles out and back, with 1,150 feet of elevation gain.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Mount St. Helens, WA #364
- Green Trails Maps: Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA #332S
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument & Administrative Area
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- No fee
- No camping within 100 feet of June Lake
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for June Lake
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for June Lake
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- Day Hiking: Mount St. Helens by Craig Romano
- Day Hiking: South Cascades by Dan A. Nelson & Alan L. Bauer
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
- 95 Virtual Hikes in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument by Northwest Hiker
- Washington's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Scott Leonard
- Washington Hiking by Scott Leonard
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
More Links
- Trail #216B June Lake (USFS)
- June Lake (Washington Trails Association)
- June Lake Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Mount St. Helens – June Lake + Worm Flows (I Heart Pacific Northwest)
- June Lake (Outdoor Project)
- June Lake in Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (Hikespeak)
- June Lake & Swift Creek Falls (Backpacker)
- June Lake & Loowit Trail (Landscape Imagery)
- June Lake Trail (All Trails)
- Snowshoe in Solitude at June Lake (Portland Monthly)