The old trail up to Lake Serene is basically a highway now

Hiked it last weekend and counted over 80 people on the main path before noon. It used to be a quiet, rooty climb where you'd maybe see a handful of folks. Now there's a gravel parking lot and boardwalks over half the muddy spots. Anyone else remember when you could camp up there without a permit and not have a line for the privy?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_perez19d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, it's definitely packed now, but I'm pretty sure you've always needed a permit to camp at Lake Serene. The Forest Service has had that rule for at least the last fifteen years. The real change is how many day hikers show up, which makes it feel like a totally different place. It's that Instagram effect, I guess, where a quiet spot just gets posted about until it's not quiet anymore.

the_pat19d ago

Honestly @wade_perez, I remember camping there without a permit way back in 2008.

lily_dixon2719d ago

I mean, I get what you're saying about it feeling different now. I tried going midweek last fall and it was still pretty busy, just not as bad as a Saturday. What worked for me was getting to the trailhead super early, like before 7 am, and having a backup plan to hike somewhere else if the lot was full. It's a bummer when a place gets loved to death, but at least the permit system keeps it from getting totally trashed.