Elbow Lake
Elbow Lake Trail is a 8.7 miles trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Mount Baker Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie 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 | 48.7376, -121.9323 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 48.6797, -121.8970 · 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 is recorded as 5 segments.
The trail
| Length | 8.7 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 697 |
| Forest | Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (unit 0605) |
| States | Washington |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
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.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Mount Baker Wilderness WildernessFS · about 30% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
No season published · listed unreachable Elbow Lake trail is a hiker and stock trail. Open to stock July 1 - Oct. 31. Open to llamas year round. The trail enters the Mt. Baker Wilderness where wilderness regulations limits parties to 12 members, including stock or llama. Forest Service Road 12 is | 0 mi |
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
- WildfireElectric
22 mi from the trail midpoint · 495 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireLuna
33 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,879 acres · 34% contained
- WildfireThunder Creek
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 715 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireBorder 2
45 mi from the trail midpoint · 8,171 acres · 73% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Elbow Lake Trail?
8.7 miles, the sum of the 5 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Elbow Lake Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Elbow Lake Trail start?
The line begins at 48.7376, -121.9323 and ends at 48.6797, -121.8970. The nearest recorded trailhead is Pioneer Camp Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Elbow Lake Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Mount Baker Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Elbow 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 Elbow Lake Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Elbow Lake Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Elbow Lake Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Elbow Lake Trail?
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Forest Service unit 0605. The trail is in Washington.
Is there a fire near the Elbow Lake Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Electric at 22 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named ELBOW LAKE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0605. 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.