Sunday Lake

Sunday Lake is quietly tucked away in the shadow of Goat Mountain, and reaching this destination will require attention to driving landmarks and the odometer. The trailhead resides unceremoniously off NF-5700, on private property, and the only distinguishing mark is the yellow Gate 30, located to your right upon arrival. You'll need a permit to access the area from Campbell -- find it here.

Park at the gate, and walk southeast 0.2 miles down an unassuming access road until reaching the official Forest Service kiosk for Sunday Lake No. 1000. Continue into a boggy area, and at 0.4 miles encounter single-track raised planks and route around the wettest spots. The first 0.7 miles of your route travel through marshy grassland chock full of dandelions, miner’s lettuce, pearly everlasting, goldenrod, aster, salal, fireweed, and even skunk cabbage.

The route becomes a trail, temporarily leaving behind the bog and meandering gently upward through second-growth forest of Douglas fir, Western hemlock, and red cedar. At 1.4 miles pass through a patch of recovering alder, with huckleberry, salmonberry, and devil’s club dominating the ground cover. Watch out for occasional blowdowns and sinkholes, as this trail does not receive frequent maintenance.

One and a half miles into the journey, descend to the rocky bed of Sunday Creek. In late spring and early summer the creek may be up to three feet deep; flip-flops and poles may be needed to ford the creek. Place your electronic devices in water-tight bags. Watch for Cascades frogs in and near the creek, and follow cairns to the continuation of the trail on the west bank of the creek.

The trail reenters forest, assuming a less manicured and rockier nature. Old growth emerges, with silver fir joining the hemlocks and Doug firs. Siberian miner’s lettuce, foxglove, and a cornucopia of ferns decorate the trail. Watch for bear scat, European black slugs, and red-legged frogs at your feet. 1.8 miles into the journey you may notice relatively conspicuous logging artifacts, including a logging trailer and oil drums that never made the journey home.

Approaching the three mile mark, the terrain again becomes boggy, and the trail descends slightly. At three miles, the trail forks in front of an old-growth Doug fir. To the left is a campsite and lower Sunday Lake; to the right and upward is Sunday Lake proper, another 0.3 miles from the fork.

In late summer, the lower lake may become dry, revealing fallen tree trunks and the spot where Sunday Creek dives underground. At the upper part of the lake, take in the reflection of Goat Mountain as dragonflies zip past and you meditate upon your escape from the hiking multitudes of the Snoqualmie region.