On 7/25/26 we enjoyed our annual visit to Bird Creek Meadows on Tract D of the Yakama Nation's land. This year, Tract D is open for recreation from 7/17 through 9/8/26. The fee is $20 for day use and $30 for camping. We left the Bird Lake TH at 6:30am to clear, mild and breezy conditions. One group was camping at the lake. We were the first car in the lot.
Our route: Clockwise on the Bird Lake Trail past Crooked Creek Falls, west to the Tract D boundary, returning East to loop up to the Hellroaring Meadow viewpoint via the Trail of Flowers, down the Sunrise Camp Trail to the "other" Bird Creek TH, and back to Bird Lake via the Round-the-Mountain trail and Bluff Lake Trail. The Sunrise Camp Trail was very faint, brushy and difficult to follow in places (at least when descending). Navigation was required.
The flowers were beautiful (peak may have been early this year for some flowers but over all very nice) and water was plentiful - supplied by a plethora of clear springs. Amazingly, we saw no one else the entire time we were on trail and there were no bugs!
Animals viewed: Grouse, screaming marmots, deer, bald eagles, many smaller birds, chipmunks, and a cow jam (on the drive in).
When we returned to Bird Lake the small parking lot was full and a boat was on the lake fishing. To finish off the day we BBQ'd some sausages for lunch before heading home.
Total mileage: 8.95 miles / 1,988 vert
**Update: Tract D was closed early by the Yakama Nation (8/16/26) due to elevated fire danger.
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