We hiked the Church Creek Trail to Satsop Lakes. It was 6.6 miles round trip. It is a technical and steep hike with downed trees, but it was a beautiful hike. Satsop Lake at the end of the trail was serene and a great place for lunch. I would recommend the hike if you are feeling adventerous, but I wouldn't recommend taking small children. Beautiful big trees, lovely flowers, and little waterfalls.

The road conditions were fairly good. Gravel road up to it and ends in a nice big turn around. Had a one "iffy" spot with a 3' diameter bolder on the side of the road but there is enough room to get around. The trail was in good condition on the front side. Once you reach the ridge at the top and begin to decent to the lake there were many fallen trees to climb over, under, and around. We met a nice couple on the trail that told us that usually when they do the hike there are many more flowers so we may have hiked a little too early in the season for them. Also there the streams and waterfalls were basically dry. They let us know that the drizzling waterfall is their favorite part and usually huge and flowing, they were disappointed in this year. Overall the trail through the wood was gorgeous and green. It was challenging and rewarding especially since it seemed to go uphill both ways.

It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to drive from Olympia to the trailhead, slower than usual because there are a couple of deep ruts in the road about .25 and .30 miles from the start of 2361 that took a while to get around safely. The WTA trip report from last May prepared us well for the trail and the wildflowers, although being almost a month earlier they weren't quite as far along. The trillium was prime, the avalanche lilies were early but great. The old growth was impressive, as was the trail reconstruction by the Olympia Mountaineers. It's moderate but steady climb pretty much the whole way, with just a few sections that someone a bit less steady may need a hand and/or trekking poles. We were surprised that there's not trailhead sign. There's a nice little lake / large pond at the pass was a good batch of marsh marigolds in the foreground.

There are two ways to access Satsop Lake. One is via the Church Creek Trail out of the South Fork Skokomish River Valley. The other is by way of the Church Creek Trail out of the Wynoochee Lake area. We approached Satsop Lake via the latter trailhead, which is a much shorter and kid-friendly way to get to small, but quaint Satsop Lake -- and when camped at Coho Campground, the only feasible way to go. My report is for the Wynoochee Lake access point. The Church Creek trailhead is unmarked. We used directions provided at the campground, which were correct but lacking in the finer details. Here's how to find the trailhead: 1. Drive FS Road 23 for approx. 1 mile to FS Road 2372. 2. Turn left on Rd #2372 and drive approx. 8 miles to the unmarked trailhead. 3. RESET your odometer at Rd #2372 to track the 8 miles. 4. Just beyond a hairpin turn, you'll see an old campfire ring and what looks like a trail (or even old road at the beginning) heading off to the right -- this is the trail! There is currently a rock spraypainted with the letters "AH" at the trailhead. You'll also notice an old log that crosses the trail -- it has been cut and a section removed -- this was key in figuring out where we were. Just beyond this log there is a homemade sign posted up on a tree to the left of the trail that says "Satsop Lake." **NOTE: Google Maps lists the FS as 2222 -- this is incorrect. The roads have posted signs stating #23 and #2372. The trail is pleasant and meanders through older forest for about half a mile to Satsop Lake. The sign board at Coho Campground with a list of "points of interest" around Wynoochee Lake states that the trail is "near" 5 small Satsop Lakes. While this is true, the other lakes are along the stretch of road near the trailhead, but always out of sight. The trail actually only goes to the one lake, which is likely why someone posted the sign "Satsop Lake" in the singular. The lake itself is remarkably clean, even in mid-September. Fish were seen and I imagine the fishing would be pretty good here. There is one campsite perched above the lake -- it's not the perfect campsite but you could make do. The Church Creek trail continues around the lake, weaving through tall grasses and around some deadfall near the head of the lake. I was able to take my 3-year-old niece through this while giving her a piggyback ride, but it's not ideal travel for young children. Good trail then picked back up when heading into the woods and we turned around to catch back up with our family members. My niece enjoyed hiking the trail and throwing rocks into the lake. Swimming would also be an option, but there are places where the lake drops deeply fairly quickly. All in all a pleasant little hike to an unexpectedly pretty little lake.

5 minutes of video highlights: http://youtu.be/evZL5SEf5Nc Loved this trail. no other hikers at all, just a couple friendly groups camping at the lake that had driven in from the other side. Forest Road 23 was getting graded so I won't complain about the potholes. The spur road seemed fine for passenger cars. The "hairpin curve" at the trailhead is now actually the end of the road, with a bulldozed mound of dirt blocking further traffic. There were 3 downed trees that were aggravating to get around and others that were easy. The trail obviously gets little use but is in good shape overall. Now let's talk about avalanche lilies - at least a quarter mile of nonstop carpets of them! I was amazed. And even if you miss those, the queens cups were everywhere showing buds about to bloom. A dozen different wildflowers on this hike: avalanche lilies, salmonberry, trillium, marsh marigolds, fairy slippers, coltsfoot, evergreen violets, shooting stars, and some I've forgotten. Also a nice variety of ferns. The trail is steep switchbacks most of the way, through huge second growth: hemlock, fir and cedar. The pass is forested without much of a view, but a fallen log there next to the trail makes a perfect bench. The brief section that goes along the decommissioned forest road is clearly marked and lined with stones at both entrance and exit.