Gifford Pinchot National Forest Cora Lake Hike Hike 04
Length: 1.5 Miles round trip Elevation Change: 300 Elevation gain Season: Late Spring thru Fall Difficulty: Easy Permit: NW Forest Pass Required Features:
This easy little hike has a lot of bang for the buck. The
trail head is long Forest Road 8420, and begins an immediate
and rather steep ascent toward Cora Lake. However, the
trail is gentle most of the way with adequate switchbacks.
The biggest challenge to this hike is the stream that flows
out of Cora Lake. You have to cross this stream twice. In
the spring, this can be quite a challenge if you don't want
to get wet. Otherwise, no big deal.
Cora Lake is a real gem. It is surrounded on the southwest
side by High Rock Peak which towers over 1800 feet above the
lake. You can see the lookout on the peak as a little white
dot. And as Hike 5 points out, you can see Cora Lake from
the peak as a beautiful emerald lake nestled in the forest
below.
Cora Lake is great as a family hike. The little stream coming
out of the lake is the only concern. The hike is short with
not much elevation gain. There is a fine place for a picnic
when you reach the lake.
A Virtual Hike in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
