After setting up camp at Rock Island CG we did this loop counter-clockwise. Beautiful fall colors and a nice trail of almost 4 miles.

We decided to go for a short easy interpretive hike today. The last two hikes this week kicked our butts. This hike was great. It is along Icicle Creek and was very beautiful. There were no bugs bothering us and the trail was in great condition. No mud and there were only two small trees to hop over (easy). This hike is positively worth taking if you just want something easy and relaxing...Lots of chipmunks...

took a trip over the pass with Karma Dog and my friend and her Wonderdog. The road to the trail head is in great shape, just watch out for all the parked cars of the climbers and rafters along the road. The trail itself was wonderful, with great viewsof melt swollen rivers and plenty of wildflowers. there are a couple of spots in the trees where the flying vampires are in full force so take your bug dope of choice. this is also a great trail for the whole family, there are info signs all along the way to inform you about the local flora and fauna.

Disregard the directions on leavenworth.org - the trailhead is actually 15 miles down Icicle Road and the trail loop is more like 5 miles... Anyway, it's a very nice trail. Incredibly well-maintained, lots of flowers, great views of the river. The flowers should be peaking in a few weeks. While in the area, we also tried to hike the old pipeline trail, but it was flooded after only 1/2 mile, due to Spring run-off.

Icicle Gorge and Eight Mile Lake 6/13 - 6/14/2005 My son and his fiancé came with me on a car camping , hiking trip to the Leavenworth area. We had sort of a late start on Monday morning and thus when we pulled into the Scatter Creek campground (17 miles up the Icicle creek road) it was time for lunch. So we ate and then opted to try the Icicle Gorge loop trail, which starts right across the road from the campground. This is a very scenic , easy 4 mile loop. We crossed the river on a new and very sturdy steel foot bridge. Yes it is river size and bigger than lots of official rivers I've seen. Big rapids and falls are right under the bridge. We then proceeded up the south shore trail through forest, and cedar swamp, and open meadows with occasional river and mountain views. After two miles the trail crosses the river on a road bridge, again right at a big set of rapids. Returning to camp on the north shore we were in forest most of the way with one section on a little cliff above the river gorge. Michelle discovered Garnets (semi precious stones) in a rock formation near the river, proving that she will be an ace geologist when she finishes school. So we worked up a little dinner appetite and my son cooked very nice steaks, potatoes and corn after we got my defective kindling to burn and start the campfire. There are two creeks in this campground so the sound of water gurgling lulled us to sleep after we finally stopped eating marshmallows and put out the fire. In the morning it was still dry (rain on the west side of the mountains was why I decided to go the extra hour to the east side) and Rich cooked great omelets. We packed up and headed for the Eight Mile lake trailhead, about 15 minutes away. The eight mile trail starts steeply through an area recently burned, and is covered with wildflowers. The views start immediately and so did the heat! The sun came out as we started up making 65 degrees seem like 85 to poor grey drizzle Seattlites. After 1/2 a mile the grade relented . From then on it was open forest, burned spots (with flowers and bushes around the dead trees) meadows and a few rocky areas up to Little Eight Mile lake. At that point my son's injured back called a halt. The romantic couple enjoyed lunch and grand lake & mountain view, while I ventured not quite to Big Eight Mile lake for a little better view. While I was away a platoon of chipmunks tried multiple attacks on Rich and Michelle's food but they bravely held them off till my return. On the way back we enjoyed a very pleasant creekside resting spot next to a big bend in Eight Mile creek, which has a photogenic series of cascades and rapids just above the trailhead. This was more than an excellent flower day, it was super. Two new species (for me); White Shooting Star, and Tweedy's Lewisia (very rare). Plus an extraordinary Columbia Lily specimen standing 5 1/2 feet high with 31 blooms. As we descended after lunch clouds covered the sun. As we drove down the road to Leavenworth a thunder head threatened. In Leavenworth rain came, but only for 15 minutes or so. On the long drive home over Stevens Pass we savored our two days on the Icicle. Statistics: 6/13 4 miles , 200 ft. gain 6/14 6 miles , 1300 ft. gain 35 flower species identified 135 miles from my north Seattle home (to Scatter Creek CG). Robert Michelson with Richard and Michelle