Greenwater Trail to Lost Lakes

Visit a trail where rushing rivers, placid lakes, and wild forests line the trail.

The Greenwater River is your companion for the first part of this hike, winding with you through cool, old-growth forest along this quiet path to two basin lakes. As you walk, watch for the deer and elk that make this area their home.

This trail is also used by equestrians, Horse fords for crossing the river are clearly marked with charming wood signs. Be sure to share the trail accordingly!

From the trailhead the hike begins on a very wide, gentle trail. The first two miles to Greenwater Lakes is almost entirely flat, helping to quickly pull you deeper into the forest. Expect to cross a half dozen bridges along the way as the trail follows the path of least resistance up the river valley.

Before long, you’ll find yourself at the first of the Greenwater Lakes, which tends to feel a little more like a widening in the river than a true lake. A few campsites can be found here if you follow small side trails around the lake.

Continue to upper Greenwater Lake just beyond the Norse Peak Wilderness boundary. Here the trail temporarily leaves the banks of the river and the forest transitions away from alders and vine maples toward old growth firs and cedars and the crowds begin to thin. Past the wilderness boundary the trail hits a junction with Lost Lake Trail 1185, heading up to the right.

The Lost Lake Trail also marks the beginning of the Norse Peak Wilderness, stuffed with alpine lakes and wildflowers. On the way to your ultimate destination, you'll pass quiet Quinn Lake, two miles from the Greenwater trailhead. Lost Lake is just a little more than half a mile beyond Quinn Lake, with good campsites and feed for stock.

WTA Pro Tip: It's possible to continue past Lost Lake all the way to Noble Knob. This adds another 6.0 miles roundtrip approximately, since you climb the trail to the north from Lost Lake to the junction with the Noble Knob Trail 1184 junction at mile 5.1.