The road to Greider Lakes is now open, and it would be navigable for a non-SUV with caution -- there are a few potholes but it is in good shape. Bathroom is open. The trail starts in a beautiful section of woods, then spends the next 1.3 miles on what was probably a road but is now grown in, with lots of climbing in and out of small gullies. There is a nice overlook with a portapotty midway down Spada Lake, then the trail angles away from the lake and soon starts climbing. There are 4 or 5 large trees down on the switchbacks, which involved some short bushwacks to get around them, and were at times confusing since you weren't sure where the trail switched back after the obstacle. But it wasn't really that difficult to keep moving forward, albeit with some dirty knees and butts from crawling up slopes. Easier on the way down. Upper Greider Lake was totally worth it -- just like the picture in the WTA guide now, with just the right amount of snow on the upper slopes to make it pretty. All in all we had a very fun day.
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Obstacles on trail:Trees down across trail.
Road
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
No bugsSnow
Snow free
Comments
George & Sally on Greider Lakes
You are correct, you hike an old DNR road from the present day parking lot near the Spada Lake boat launch. Before the DNR and Snohomish County PUD closed the road you could drive to the Greider Lakes and Boulder Lake trailheads. So now you have a longer hikes. Plus it is now further for DNR trail crews to go to do any trail maintenance. When the road was closed they pulled the culverts and installed bridges at some of the larger creek crossings in the past couple of years. I was on a DNR crew way back in 1968 when the steep trail up to Greider Lakes was started from the old parking lot (just past the cement concrete bridge over Greider Creek). The trails and campsites up at the lakes were built by an NYC crew in the 1970's. I got to fly in a helicopter one time in the 70's bringing up some metal parts for the foot bridge between the two lakes. Th easy way to get up to Greider Lakes. George
Posted by:
George & Sally on May 05, 2025 04:03 PM
Trail Name Cozy on Greider Lakes
Thanks for the history! I was surprised last year that they had porta potties at the Greider Lakes (which clearly hadn't been serviced in a loooong time). I guess they were planning to fly them in and out?? They have taken them out now.
Posted by:
Trail Name Cozy on May 05, 2025 05:34 PM
jared.evans on Greider Lakes
hey did you use a GPS track or anything to make sure you were on the right trail? i can’t find one anywhere.
Posted by:
jared.evans on May 09, 2025 08:01 PM
Trail Name Cozy on Greider Lakes
All Trails has the route, we used that.
Posted by:
Trail Name Cozy on May 09, 2025 08:54 PM