By: Sierra Sandoval
A quick and easy hike can do wonders to free your mind. This one is perfect for getting outside on a nice day, and getting away from your computer screens and school work.
The hike to Pine and Cedar Lakes is a relatively easy hike with a total round trip of around 2 hours and 30 minutes. This doesn’t include the time it would take to walk around both lakes and adventure around though.
The starting point that I like to go from is off of Chuckanut Drive, where the interurban trails start. From there you can hike up and you’ll see a few maps along the way to point you in the right direction. If you feel like you aren’t going the right way in the beginning, just continue upwards. This is actually how I initially found this hike. One day I decided to go hiking with no plan in mind, and I just kept hiking up until I came across a map or saw trail signs going up. Once you get to a certain point the maps help you with direction to getting to these lakes the rest of the way up. It’s very easy to find your way up and back down.
This hike is one of my personal favorites because the incline isn’t too steep, since it is long rather than challenging. It is all around about 9 miles total.
If you start from the interurban entrance and make your way upwards, you’ll be able to see Raptor Ridge, a gorgeous view and small resting point along the way. A great spot to sip on some water and eat a snack while taking in the view.
Personally, this view was my favorite during the whole hike, and my favorite lake of the two was Pine Lake. It had small campsites, and trails that surrounded the lake. My favorite part about Pine Lake was the boards that you walked on when initially reaching the lake. It was like a trail made of wood that was propped up like a small bridge, surrounded by yellow flowers blooming.
