Statlu Lake

A beautiful aquamarine lake hidden in a steep valley northwest of Harrison Hot Springs.

Statistics

Directions

A landslide into Chehalis Lake has resulted in the permanent closure of many roads in the area, blocking the traditional access to Statlu Lake. A new access trail has been built and can be accessed via logging roads from the west side of Harrison Lake.

From Highway #7 (Lougheed Highway) just West of Agassiz, turn onto Morris Valley Road next to the Sasquach Inn. Reset your odometer here. Follow the road heading north, ignore the 4 way junction right away the turn for Hemlock Valley later on. The road eventually crosses a narrow wooden bridge and passes a fish hatchery before turning into gravel. Reset your odometer as you pass the side road for Weaver Lake. You should now be on Harrison West Forest Service Road - be extremely cautious of active industrial traffic such as logging trucks.

At 28.8 kilometers, based on the metal distance markers, shortly after the road winds it's way downhill around a series of sharp corners, turn left onto Chehalis-Mystery Forest Service Road (sign is partially obscured by brush, so look carefully. Reset your odometer again and travel for another 8 km to a point where a newer branch road leads off to the right at a switchback. Unless you have a high-clearance vehicle, continue down the road for another 50 meters to where thre is more space to park

Details

As mentioned above, the main Chehalis Forest Service Road has been permanently closed as a result of the massive landslide into Chehalis Lake. The campsites on Chehalis Lake have been destroyed and the original trailhead access road is completely overgrown with multiple large washouts. A new access trail has been created - it's vastly superior to the original alder-choked access road in every way.

Starting from the side logging road leading off to the left (as you walk back up the road from where you parked), head down the logging road and at the next junction 150 meters later, turn left again. At the end of the road, cross a small creek and follow a rough trail through the slash to the edge of the forest.

A new trail leads steeply downhill to a narrow log bridge over Eagle Creek. After crossing the creek, the rough trail winds through a mossy forest for 300 meters before emerging onto a forested, long-forgotten road. A trail has been cleared down the road, and amazing the entire area seems to be slide-alder free! The road has very little elevation gain as it continues for a little over 1km to what remains of the original road used to access the Statlu Lake trailhead. Turn left here, crossing a tributary creek on another new log bridge. A short distance after crossing the bridge, look carefully to the right for a gravel path leading off to the right - this is the original Statlu Lake trailhead. If you reach a decaying, rotten road bridge you've gone too far.

From here, the trail leads uphill on what little remains of another old road. After 120 meters of elevation gain the road ends, and a proper foot path leads off to the right with a number of steps built into the hillside. After climbing uphill steeply, the trail turns to the left and follows along the side of the side, with occasional views of nearby cliffs, waterfalls, and snowy mountains. After passing over a bushy rock bluff with even better views of the surrounding area, the trail drops down into a dangerous smooth rock gully above a raging waterfall. DO NOT WALK TO THE EDGE OF THE GULLY - multiple people have fallen to their death here! Ignore the rope straight ahead and turn to the right to locate a much easier route up the embankment on the opposite side.

Once past the gully, the trail passes the top of the waterfall and makes it's way to the shore of the lake and a small campsite. There is enough room to fit one tent comfortably and two tents at maximum. From here, the trail leads along the north side of the lake, crossing two talus fields and a small debris flow. Much of the route has become partially overgrown with blueberry bushes but for the most part is fairly straightforward to follow. Three-quarters of the way around the lake, the trail turns slightly inland through old growth forest and reaches an easily missed junction with the "Brotherhood Trail", an extremely steep trail leading to an upper lake.

Immediately beyond the Brotherhood Trail junction, the trail reaches a large creek with a beautiful waterfall in a steep canyon. The creek can be crossed using a fallen log, but use caution as it is extremely slippery and potentially dangerous. The trail continues through bushy forest beyond and across a third talus slope before reaching two more smaller creeks and two or three rough tent sites in the forest. Just beyond, the trail finally ends at a pleasant campsite with one tent spot on a "peninsula" between a large creek and the western shore of the lake.

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

Chehalis-Mystery Forest Service Road blockade	N49.50460 W122.00426	10U 572092 5484029
2wd parking / Side logging road junction	N49.50497 W122.00464	10U 572064 5484069
Side logging road forks (go left)	N49.50611 W122.00622	10U 571948 5484195
4wd parking	N49.50647 W122.00941	10U 571716 5484232
End of logging road	N49.50630 W122.01035	10U 571648 5484212
Trailhead	N49.50617 W122.01135	10U 571576 5484196
Log bridge over Eagle Creek	N49.50564 W122.01305	10U 571454 5484136
Trail begins following old road	N49.50742 W122.01500	10U 571310 5484332
Junction with former access road	N49.50935 W122.02966	10U 570246 5484533
Log bridge over creek	N49.50862 W122.03014	10U 570212 5484451
Former trailhead	N49.50816 W122.02992	10U 570229 5484400
End of old road	N49.51123 W122.03811	10U 569632 5484734
Rock bluff	N49.51244 W122.04170	10U 569370 5484865
Gully	N49.51239 W122.04431	10U 569181 5484857
Eastern lakeshore campsite	N49.51210 W122.04578	10U 569075 5484824
Talus crossing #1	N49.51394 W122.04866	10U 568864 5485025
Debris flow	N49.51375 W122.04979	10U 568783 5485003
Talus crossing #2	N49.51383 W122.05671	10U 568282 5485006
Ponds	N49.51415 W122.06010	10U 568036 5485038
Brotherhood Trail junction	N49.51431 W122.06496	10U 567684 5485052
Creek crossing below waterfall	N49.51404 W122.06520	10U 567667 5485022
Talus crossing #3	N49.51221 W122.07070	10U 567271 5484813
Small creek crossing #1	N49.51092 W122.07158	10U 567209 5484669
Small creek crossing #2	N49.51036 W122.07145	10U 567219 5484607
Western lakeshore campste	N49.50997 W122.07017	10U 567313 5484565