Shoe Lake. Yes, it is named because it looks like a shoe. The trail is located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness near White Pass Ski Area. This iconic trail is known for its gorgeous alpine lake, spectacular wildflowers, and sweeping views of the Goat Rock Mountains.

Hikers can get a taste of what it is like to hike along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) since all of the Shoe Lake Trail overlaps with the iconic PCT trail.

In this guide, I will share everything you need to know before you reach the trailhead, including information on hiking this gorgeous trail, whether it should be included in the 100 Classic Hikes, recommended gear, and other trails in the area.

If that sounds good to you, let’s get into it!

Why this blog? Hi! My name is Sarah, and I am hiking all 100 Classic Hikes of Washington, initially published by Ira Springs and Harvey Manning. After completing this trail, I have officially hiked 55/100 Classic Hikes! You can find all of the trail guides from 100 Classic Hikes I’ve completed here.

Just a heads up! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small kickback at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Comprehensive Trail Guide for Shoe Lake in Goat Rocks Wilderness

While Shoe Lake would be considered a long day hike, the elevation gain is low. The shallow grade of the trail means that you can keep moving and grooving all the way up to the pass.

Many people who complete Shoe Lake as a day hike turn around at the pass looking over Shoe Lake; however, I believe it is well worth the effort and additional miles to hike down to the lake and take a dip!

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Need to Know Before You Go

Before you hit the Shoe Lake Trail, keep the following information in mind!

Location of the Trail

The Shoe Lake Trail is on the ancestral lands of the Yakama, Cowlitz, and Chinook peoples, who have and continue to be the stewards of the land. We honor them by respecting the land we use.

Getting to the Trailhead

Heading away from Packwood, WA, drive on Highway 12 East towards the White Pass Area. Continue straight through the White Pass Ski Area until you see the sign labeled “White Pass Area Campgrounds and Trailheads”.

The trailhead for Shoe Lake is located on the right, just past the sign.

The trailhead parking lot is a small roundabout with space for about ten cars. For overflow parking, you can park in the Leach Campground area just across the street.

Trailhead Facilities

There are no facilities at the trailhead for Shoe Lake.

Pit toilets can be found at the Leach Lake Campground across the street.

There are no garbage cans. All garbage packed in must be packed out.

Season to Visit

The best season to visit is Mid-July through September.

July through September typically promises snow-free trails and abundant wildflowers.

Before July, some of the higher altitude portions of the trail are dangerous due to large snow patches.

After September, you will likely experience inclement weather and snowy trails.

Passes/Permits

Shoe Lake is located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area in the National Forest. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass and a Day Use Permit.

You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park at the trailhead. This needs to be purchased in advance for $30. The permit grants you access to all National Forests in Washington and Oregon. You can purchase the pass here.

The day-use permit needs to be filled out at the trailhead. Filling out Day Use Permits helps with fund allocation. Please complete this permit to ensure the Naches Ranger District trails receive funding for the people who use them.

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What to Pack for Shoe Lake

Here are a couple of items I would suggest you bring with you if you will be hiking the Shoe Lake Trail.

I last hiked this trail in July, when the trail was mostly cleared of snow, had plentiful wildflowers and lots of bugs.

• Bug Spray: This is a must! The mosquitoes on this trail are no joke. I brought Sawyer Picaridin Spray.
• Headnet: Not necessary, but I was extremely grateful to have brought a headnet to deal with the flies and mosquitoes.
• Water: This is a long trail with plenty of sun exposure. Consider packing closer to three liters of water with you.
• Sunshirt: Due to the high altitude and lack of tree cover, a sunshirt is a game-changer when it comes to protecting your skin. I wore the Tahoe Sunshirt from Backcountry.
• Hiking Pants or Leggings: To further protect your skin from bugs, the sun, and brush, long pants are the best option for this trail.
• Hiking Poles: I was grateful to have brought my hiking poles on the trail, especially when it came to the long descent.
• Electrolytes: When I am hiking, I always like to bring a separate Nalgene with electrolytes.
• Sitting Pad: There aren’t many places to sit along the trail, so this Nemo Sitting Pad came in handy for short breaks and admiring views.
• GPS Device: Having a method for communication is a fantastic safety measure, especially if you’re hiking alone. I always bring my Garmin InReach Mini, however, due to the proximity to the Ski Area, there is some service along the route.

For a full list of hiking gear items, check out this post.

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Hiking the Shoe Lake Trail

IMO, the Shoe Lake Trail is a fantastic training trail. I carried a heavy pack on this trail to train for my TMB tre,k and it was the perfect way to pack miles in with some elevation.

On the trail, I saw plenty of PCT hikers, trail runners, and a few day hikers.

The shallow grade of the trail makes it easy to push yourself, but it also makes the trail extremely accessible.

Trailhead to Ginnette Lake

When you arrive at the trailhead, you will find a small roundabout with space for about ten cars and a horse ramp. There is a small trail sign where you can review hiking regulations for the Goat Rocks Area and fill out the day-use permit.

The beginning of the trail takes you across a small bridge over a stream before you start a gentle ascent into lush, green forest. For the first 0.5 miles of the trail, you’ll be walking near the South Fork Clear Creek that feeds into Leach Lake.

From there, you will start your first collection of switchbacks. These long switchbacks are gentle, but before you know it, you’ll have knocked out quite a bit of elevation gain!

There are a number of downed trees along the trail, but they’re fairly easy to step over or walk around.

At two miles in, you’ll come across Ginnette Lake. Ginnette Lake is lovingly known as Mosquito Lake. While there is some seating available here made out of fallen logs, the time spent here is minimal. I would not recommend using this area to filter water.

Ginnette Lake to the Chair Lift Trail

Shoe Lake Trail skirts along the ski boundary for White Pass. A number of times along the trail, you can sneak a peek at some of the ski lifts and ski runs. Do not use the ski run as a trail.

While there are no real flat sections of the trail, the short distance between Ginnette Lake and the Chair Lift Trail has some rolling ups and downs until you get to the trail intersection. The Chair Lift Trail offers backcountry skiers a route for accessing the ski zone.

Chair Lift Trail to Exposed Traverse

After passing the Chair Lift Trail, you’ll walk through some gorgeous alpine meadows tucked into the trees. You’ll continue to see chair lifts as you pass High Camp Lodge.

This short section has you weaving in and out of the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It is fun to see all of the “Leaving Goat Rocks Wilderness Area” and “Entering Goat Rocks Wilderness Area” signs on the trees as you pass through this section.

As you reach the base of Hogback Mountain, shade becomes limited. This is where the exposed, scree section of the trail begins.

Exposed Traverse

This section of the trail leading up to the pass that overlooks Shoe Lake can be treacherous at times. However, this holds some of the most stunning views on the trail!

Once you leave the woods behind, you’ll be able to see the pass along the ridgeline that you are hiking to. The trail trends upwards, but it is very gradual.

Parts of this section are very narrow. When there are snow patches across the trail, proceed with caution. This is where traction devices and trekking poles come in handy.

Along this section of trail, you will see Mariam Lake, Twin Peaks, and Round Mountain. You can get to the Round Mountain Summit using the offshoot trail near the Chair Lift Trail.

Read Next: Best Sun Hoodies

Descent to Shoe Lake

Once you get to the pass, you will see incredible views of the Goat Rocks Wilderness and a sliver of Shoe Lake. Here is a great place to take a breather and choose the route you want to take down to the lake. There are two options: direct and scenic.

Combining the two options results in fully circumventing the lake!

Scenic Route to Shoe Lake

The scenic route to Shoe Lake continues to follow the PCT trail. After reaching the pass, take the trail to the right.

This is longer in distance than the direct route, but takes you around the mountain so you can see grand views of Mount Rainier and Mount Adams(in the distance).

Eventually, you will reach a fork that you will take to the left towards Shoe Lake. After another 0.4 miles, you will have reached the beautiful Shoe Lake.

I suggest taking the scenic route down.

Direct Route to Shoe Lake

The direct route to Shoe Lake is a collection of switchbacks. They, like the rest of the switchbacks on the trail, have a gentle grade.

The trail leads you into the forest surrounding Shoe Lake, and you end up walking around a majority of the lake until you get to a small sitting area.

Heading from the lake back up to the pass might look intimidating, but the switchbacks are just as gentle on this side of the pass as they are on the other side!

I suggest taking the direct route up.

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Backpacking to Shoe Lake

In “100 Classic Hikes of Washington” and in some reviews online, it states that you can make an overnight out of your Shoe Lake journey. If you walk back to the scenic route and continue down the PCT trail for another 0.6 miles, there will be a trail intersection to Hidden Springs Trail. There is (supposed to be) a small campground off of Hidden Springs Trail.

Due to significant fire damage, the Hidden Springs Trail is currently impassable, and camping is not available.

Camping at Shoe Lake is prohibited.

While walking along the Shoe Lake/PCT Trail, you can see an occasional campsite that PCTers have used for a campsite. Typically, you need to be 100 feet from the trail to set up camp, and many of these campsites were right off the Trail.

Check out Cispus Basin, an INCREDIBLE backpacking route in the area.

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Should Shoe Lake be a “100 Classic Hikes of Washington”?

I am hiking all 100 Classic Hikes of Washington (Third Edition) by Craig Romano. This trail guide has some of the most unique, jaw-dropping trails all across the state of Washington!

When I set out on this adventure to hike all of the trails in the book, I had just moved to Washington and was looking to find the best trails I could.

So the question is, should Shoe Lake be a 100 Classic Hike of Washington?

In my opinion, no. Shoe Lake should no longer be a 100 Classic Hike of Washington. Shoe Lake was originally picked to be a 100 Classic in the first edition by Ira Springs and Harvey Manning, so the trail is designated as a “Legacy Hike”.

While I think this hike is spectacular, I don’t believe it shows off the best of what Washington has to offer in the area. The close proximity to the Ski Runs at times took away from the grandeur of the area. But, at the end of the day, it didn’t leave me feeling “Wow! This trail was incredible and shows the best of Washington.”

Some trails in the area that I do think reflect the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area as incredible:

• Goat Lake
• Cispus Basin
• Mount Aix

To start your own “100 Classic Hike” adventure, you can purchase the trail guide here.

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Pack it Up

Before heading out on the trail, always check the trail, road, and weather conditions. My favorite place to check user-generated trail conditions is by checking Washington Trails Association (WTA.org). People tend to leave thorough reviews of the trail.

This trail is excellent, and if you have the time, I highly recommend taking a dip in the water. I brought a Thermacell with me that kept the mosquitoes away while swimming and eating lunch.

Have questions about the trail? Drop them in the comments!