I love this hike. It's a perfect shoulder season trail for close enough to call it 73 yo me. Stretching it out lengthwise, but virtually no elevation change. It's been a while since I did it, and I don't know how long there have been new "flushing" toilets at the lake, but awesome! The trail is in perfect condition. I hiked on a Friday, and saw only a few people. Total miles to end of the lake and back on the Pipeline Trail: 9.7 miles
I'm not sure where WTA gets 4.6 miles to the old ranger station; I clocked it at 3.5; 5 miles to (almost) the end of the lake, which is well worth it. Many calypso orchids (gorgeous), especially beyond the lake; also trillium and yellow violets. A little up and down from the head of the lake to the end, but easy.
A word about the ATV trail (Pipeline), which I took on the return after reading a previous trip report, because shorter. 1. It's less than a mile shorter. 2. A short bit of it is not the service road, and it is beautiful. As was the service road, for a while. 3. The service road is rocky. It was very hard on my feet, which translated to hard on my knees and back. 4. There are views of Rainier, mostly screened by trees, but a few clear ones. 5. While an alternate experience was welcome, I won't do it next time,see #3. In spite of a little shorter, it did not feel shorter!
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