Destination: Green Lakes
Mileage: 7 miles round trip
Trailhead: Green Lakes/Soda Creek off Cascade Lakes Hwy
Elevation: 5,450 up to 6,505 feet

Full discolure, this was supposed to be an over-night trip but someone forgot all of their nicely packed backpacking gear on the shelf in the garage…apparently in addition to checking things off my gear list, I need a list to check off as I pack things in the car. Good thing Green Lakes is also a wonderful day hike!

Parking permits are required and available at the trailhead, for the day pass it was $5 – have exact change. This trail has special regulations for dogs, but we hit the trial at the right time. From September 16 to July 14 dogs are allowed off leash. Now that logistics are out of the way, welcome to Three Sisters Wilderness!
The trail is a delightful stroll through open woods with a smattering of mountainous views. For the most part the trail is mellow with a few short climbs.
The last stretch to the lake is a delightful meander along Fall Creek. Also, John Snow needs to get a load of this mountain side – so much dragon glass!
There’s a big day use area on the shore of the largest lake with a view of Broken Top. Speaking of Broken Top, why is its top broken? Geologists call it a complex stratovolcano, in hiker terms it is an extinct volcano that erupted back in the day and then the volcanic cone was eroded by glaciers. Thank you Wikipedia. Obsidian wasn’t the only other volcanic rock in abundance along the hike, while sitting by the lake shore I tossed a few pumice stones in the lake. Give it a try, see if you’re as amused as I was.
The trail crosses Fall Creek twice, but log bridges keep your feet, or paws, dry.
Fall Creek is aptly named, I stopped counting but it seemed like there was one around every bend in the trail. Ha! Did you catch that sweet pun? I’ll leave you with that.

Happy,
Trails