Rainy Lake

Our Hiking Time: 6h 30m
Total Ascent: 2700ft
Highest Point: 3900ft
Total Distance: 9 miles
Location: N 47° 30.6900, W 121° 32.0220
Difficulty: Hard



The holidays firmly behind us, we were anxious to get back out into the woods and on the trail. We wanted something with a bit of grit to it, something that might require a little bushwhacking to complete. Rainy Lake seemed the right fit – an abandoned trail deep in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley sounded perfect.

Evidently, Rainy Lake was literally named for the abnormal amount of rain that falls in the general area. While we were unable to dig up precisely who christened the lake, it was probably someone that was nearing the end of their ability to creatively name bodies of water. The same difficulties in accessing Rainy Lake that made it appealing also means information is scarce. While the Forest Service has abandoned the trail, it is clear that it is at least partially maintained – brush is recently cleared in many places, and a good portion of the trail is tagged with ribbon. There is some talk that keeping this trail maintained is a lone crusade by someone that wants the trail to remain open; if this is the case, the amount of work that is being done by a single individual is impressive.

Depending on the time of year, finding the trail can be tricky. The trail begins at the Middle Fork Trailhead, crosses the Gateway Bridge and then heads to the right following the river downstream toward Stegosaurus Butte. You’ll continue hugging the riverside for about a half a mile, passing over remnants of the steps and bridges that once graced the trail, until you encounter Rainy Creek. Keep an eye out for some orange tags leading towards a trail on the other side. This is your turnoff, and it can be easy to miss. Note that the trail continues onward to a log that has been converted into a makeshift bridge – if you’ve reached this point you’ve gone too far.

Depending on the time of year, crossing Rainy Creek may be difficult, but once across, the trail is lovely. Follow the narrow bootpath through lush forest and mossy undergrowth. Rainy Creek is your constant companion as you follow it ever upward toward the lake. The path alternates between brutal inclines and occasional plateaus, over occasional blowdowns and straight up talus fields. Still, for about three-quarters of the journey, friendly tags help guide the way when the trail disappears. The occasional views of Mt. Garfield are excellent and the faint trail lends a pleasant feeling of seclusion. Eventually, however, the tags stop appearing. For us, this happened above the snow level, leaving us to follow the creek and the path of least resistance straight up the mountainside. Likely, given the route of the trail until that point, when the snow has melted, there is something of a path that can be followed to the lake.

Rainy Lake lies beneath the exposed rock face of Preacher Mountain. For the adventurous, there is a scramble route that can be followed around the east side of the lake to the top of the mountain, but it’s reportedly very overgrown and something of a struggle to navigate. Overall, the route is hard and not for everyone, but the reward may be worth it. Certainly, Rainy Lake would be a great base camp for those that want to summit Preacher or the Pulpit, but it is also a lovely and peaceful destination in itself. If you’re looking for some solitude, Rainy Lake might be a great choice.

To get there, take Exit 34 off I-90 and take a left on 468th Ave. Follow the road past the truck stop for about a half-mile until you reach SE Middle Fork Road, also known as Forest Road 56. Continue to follow the twists in the road until the pavement runs out. From here it’s almost 11 miles on a gravel road to the Middle Fork Trail head parking lot. The trailhead and Gateway Bridge are at the north end of the lot. Northwest Forest Pass required. -Nathan

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