Parking
East Bank Trailhead on SR 20 at milepost 138, about 33 miles east of Marblemount. The lot holds roughly 25 cars.
Overview
About Willow Lake Trail
Why go
- Long Ross Lake shoreline approach with a quiet marshy lake at the end
- Ruby Creek and Three Fools Creek carry memorable prospecting history
Heads up
- About 51 miles round trip from the road trailhead
- Remote route with no food service along the trail
Willow Lake is the turnaround on a very long East Bank and Lightning Creek backpack. The connected mapped walk is about 25.3 miles from East Bank Trailhead to the lake’s west-end camp, or 50.6 miles round trip. A published one-way figure is 23.5 miles, so allow for the longer mapped line. This is a multi-day trip, not a day hike. The walking is mostly moderate, but the distance, a steep climb, and the remote setting make the full route hard. For a shorter outing, turn back after the Ross Lake shore or choose one of the shorter East Bank camp spurs.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this trip for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapElevation1,594–2,989 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active North Cascades alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures and Stehekin fire advisoryMentions this trailWildfire-related closures remain in effect; stay out of all closed trails, camps, and areas.Official details
- CautionCampfires banned across the park complexCampfires and other ash-producing fires are banned throughout the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Your drive to Willow Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the North Cascades audio tourRecorded for this area
East Bank Trailhead: Ruby Creek and Longer Trips0:00 / 0:27
“Up ahead is East Bank Trailhead, a starting point for long forest walks and backpacking trips above Ross Lake. The full East Bank route runs thirty-one miles one way to Hozomeen, usually taking two or three days.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- How a Glacier Retreats
- The Log Beneath the Trees
- The Highway's Long Wait
- Ross Lake Overlook: A Quick View Through the Trees
- 83 audio storiesacross North Cascades’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Mule Deer, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Willow Lake Trail
The East Bank startFrom the trailhead, descend to the Ruby Creek bridge.
From the trailhead, descend to the Ruby Creek bridge. The creek drew placer miners in the 1880s; a few remnants and interpretive plaques remain near the crossing. At about 2.8 miles, stay on the main trail past the Ross Lake campsite spur and the steep Little Jack Mountain turnoff. East Bank climbs through Hidden Hand Pass, then drops through forest to Ross Lake. The high bridge over Devil’s Creek Canyon is a good place to pause for the lake below.
Into Lightning CreekAround mile 16, the route leaves Ross Lake and climbs steep switchbacks into the Lightning…
Around mile 16, the route leaves Ross Lake and climbs steep switchbacks into the Lightning Creek valley. You get final lake views before the trail drops into a quieter, forested basin. It passes a historic log trapper’s cabin that is closed to visitors, then a log bridge and the Three Fools Creek junction. The name comes from a story about prospectors who left a Ruby Creek claim after chasing a false gold tip.
Willow LakeThe route parallels Willow Lake, a long, shallow basin edged by marsh habitat, and reaches a…
The route parallels Willow Lake, a long, shallow basin edged by marsh habitat, and reaches a spur down to a camp at the west end. It’s a quiet destination after a long approach; the lake’s wet margins support marsh plants, birds, insects, and mammals. Gray wolves have been observed in the wider area, but sightings aren’t something to count on. Dogs aren’t allowed on the trail.
Access and backcountry logisticsEast Bank Trailhead is on SR 20 at milepost 138, about 33 miles east of Marblemount.
East Bank Trailhead is on SR 20 at milepost 138, about 33 miles east of Marblemount. The lot holds roughly 25 cars. There’s no food service along this remote route, so carry what you need for the full trip. Every overnight stay requires a backcountry permit, and permits are limited. Check current access alerts before setting out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North Cascades
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
