Dingford Creek-Myrtle Lake

After a tooth-rattling drive up the six mile Dingford road, pull into the trailhead for Dingford Creek. From here, several destinations are at your disposal. Head downhill to access the Middle Fork River Trail or Goldmyer Hot Springs, where reservations are required. Or, you can venture around the gate along the Old Middle Fork Road to Dutch Miller Gap and beyond.

But with Myrtle Lake as your destination, you'll take the trail marked for Dingford Creek. Begin climbing immediately after leaving the trailhead. The trail leads you steeply up the hillside as you pass moss-covered boulders -- glacial erratics from a time when this area was covered by ice. Watch your step here; the rocks are underfoot as well as alongside the trail, and can create a tripping hazard.

As you hike through second-growth hemlocks, you're accompanied by birdsong and rushing water from Dingford Creek to your right. About a mile in you'll pass the adorably named Pumpkinseed Falls fed by Pumpkinseed Lake high above. Take a moment to appreciate the water that glides down a 25-foot granite face into a tiny pool before running off as Pumpkinseed Creek to feed the river below. In summer, the pool provides an excellent spot to splash your face before continuing on.

After the falls the trail levels off and traverses through meadows full of vegetation including Devils Club, and more pleasantly, salmonberry. Expect to make several stream crossings that can be a bit tricky in high water before finally getting to a fork at three miles in.

To get to Myrtle Lake, take the left fork. The trail begins to climb again here, and you'll have two and a half miles of lengthy, sometimes overgrown switchbacks to get to Myrtle Lake. Once there, take a load off and enjoy the quiet of the lake. For the intrepid, a faint, mile-long trail leads to small Upper Myrtle Lake at 4,200 feet.