THE: DNR - Ashland Lakes Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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THE: TrailHeads Extrodinaire -- a simple series of
caches at trailheads along the Mountain Loop Highway. It is an
effort to encourage you to get on the trails and our way of giving
back to the caching community. Each cache page will give you a
pretty good idea what to expect on the trail should you decide to
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Ashland Lakes Trail
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Trail
Length: 3.5 miles one-way
Season of Use: Summer / Fall
Beginning Elevation: 2400 feet
Ending Elevation: 2030 feet (Twin Lakes)
Visitor Use: Medium
Level of Difficulty: Easiest
Map: Green Trails Silverton - #110
Getting there:
From the Verlot Public Service Center, travel east on the Mt. Loop
Highway for 4.5 miles. Turn right on the Schweitzer Creek Road
#4020. Continue 2.3 miles to the Bear Lake Road #4021 and follow
this road for 1.5 miles to the junction with Road #4021016. Turn
left and follow this road to end. You must walk approximately 1
mile on the abandoned road to the trailhead on your left at the
Y.
The hike:
The Ashland Lakes are part of a recreation area administered by the
Washington Department of Natural Resources. In the mid 1970’s
the state constructed the trail, as well as backcountry campgrounds
at each of the four lakes. This is a good, easy hike for families
with small children. Use caution when stepping on the wood
walkways, as they can sometimes be quite slippery.
From the trailhead the trail starts through a stand of young trees
and enters old-growth forest after 0.3 mile. At 0.7 mile a junction
is reached. The left fork leads to 3.2-acre Beaver Plant Lake, a
distance of 200 yards. The right fork continues past the junction
with the Bald Mt. Trail to 7.0-acre Upper Ashland Lake and
12.9-acre Lower Ashland Lake. Good campsites are to be found at
these lakes.
Continuing on the trail, past Ashland Lakes, the terrain is a
steady downhill stretch. This part of the trail is not recommended
for small children, since it is quite steep. The trail eventually
ends at 1.5-acre Twin Falls Lake.
The cache:
An ammo can hidden in a likely way.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)