Pearrygin Lake State Park - Rex Derr Trail — Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025

Hiked this trail on a beautiful fall day just after the big storm. There was plenty of fall color on display, with trees in various stages.

Starting at the campground we went above and around the east side of the lake. After the homestead at the southern end we completed the loop by getting on the gravel road back to the campground. Very few people on the trail, though we saw a few large groups camped at the lake. The trail was in great shape all along. We could see the burn area on the west side, along with a small plume of smoke rising from somewhere south of the lake. Never figured out what that was all about, but thankfully it did not seem to spread.

Saw lots of water fowl at the lake -- geese, loons and a heron. I was surprised and pleased to see aspen trees here, after being assured by a few people over the years that they don't exist in WA. Turns out that they do in Eastern WA!

All in all, it was an unexpectedly nice hike for a small state park.