Birth of a Lake
Birth of a Lake Trail is a 0.5 miles trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 5, fully developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 46.2901, -122.2663 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.2908, -122.2652 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 0.5 miles, of which 0.5 miles evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 5, fully developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | other |
| Typical grade | 0-5 percent |
| Typical tread width | 36-48 inches |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Special management area | NM - NATIONAL MONUMENT |
| Trail numbers | 246 |
| Forest | Gifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603) |
| States | Washington |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireHigh Lava
29 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,899 acres · 60% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Birth of a Lake Trail?
0.5 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 0.5 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Birth of a Lake Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Birth of a Lake Trail start?
The line begins at 46.2901, -122.2663 and ends at 46.2908, -122.2652. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Birth of a Lake Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Birth of a Lake Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
How developed is the Birth of a Lake Trail?
Trail class 5, which the Forest Service describes as fully developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Birth of a Lake Trail?
The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Birth of a Lake Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 0.5 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is other.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Birth of a Lake Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.
Is there a fire near the Birth of a Lake Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest High Lava at 29 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named BIRTH OF A LAKE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0603. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.