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CHS 1 Hike - Pine and Cedar Lakes

6 mile 1700 foot hike to Pine and Cedar lake. We took the main, steep trail up and added in a couple of less travelled shortcuts along the way.

Elliott Krivenko Elliott Krivenko
May 10, 2025
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The main trails are well maintained and appeared to have recently been cleared of some spring overgrowth. Today the trail was dry and easy to walk, but parts would likely be slippery when wet (due to roots and areas where water can pool). 

    There are a number of side trails on Gaia, and we took a couple of these as part of the planned route. Overall, they were fine but the one cutting directly from Cedar Lake to the Pine and Cedar main trail (skipping the ridge outlook) appeared unmaintained. I could see how one could get lost there if not paying attention as the trail is not obvious. 

    Some of the wooden walkways around the lakes are worn out, especially at Cedar Lake. Parts would sink under our weight or were already caved in somewhat. We were fine but I could see it being an issue if the water levels were much higher. 

Spring flowers are out (There were lots of trillium and bleeding hearts). The trees are fully greened out from spring growth. The forest here is beautiful with a nice diversity of trees and shrubs. 

Recommend paying special attention to shoe lacing to avoid toe bang on the way down. Poles could also be useful, especially if you have bad knees.