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Barclay Lake

Barclay Lake & Baring Mountain – Photos in this post were taken on my DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, Fujifilm X-T5 using the Lente Bok recipe and my fiancé’s phone

Barclay Lake is one of my favorite trails in Washington because you get fantastic views for little effort. This is one of the first trails that I did when I started hiking several years ago. When I completed this hike, I wasn’t expecting there to be a mountain at the end of the trail in addition to Barclay Lake. So, it was a pleasant surprise for me to see one of the most impressive mountains I’ve ever seen. A few years later I went back with my fiancé to capture the lake and mountain with my upgraded gear since the first time I hiked this trail I only had my iPhone. This hike has a low elevation gain of about 500-feet over the course of 4.4 miles round trip. It is located a few miles up a forest service road without cell service, so make sure you download an offline map or bring a physical one with you. Gorgeous views surround you as you start climbing up the winding forest service road. Wildflowers will be scattered around the road in the late spring and summer months. One of the most prominent wildflowers you will see is the foxglove, which I am obsessed with. I love their bell shape and thought that they only grew to be purple and pink, but I saw some white ones this year that offered a stark contrast.

After you spend about 15-20 minutes driving along the bumpy forest service road dodging potholes, you will reach the small parking lot for Barclay Lake. This is a popular hike, so it’s not uncommon to see vehicles parked along the sides of the road on the weekend. At the beginning of the trail, you will walk through a forest of burnt trees from a previous forest fire. This isn’t the only time a forest fire has occurred near the lake. In September of 2022 Bolt Creek Fire struck the valley as well. The trail was closed due to the fire and was finally reopened in 2024. You can see fresh burnt marks along the trail from the Bolt Creek Fire. Although there have been multiple forest fires in the valley, there is no lack of vegetation. You will walk by many mushrooms, wildflowers, and mossy trees. To your left different mountain peaks, such as Merchant Peak and Wing Peak, will be visible through the trees and Barclay Creek will parallel you for most of the hike.

You will cross over Barclay Creek after about 1.2 miles on a log bridge with a single railing. Use caution, as the bridge may be slippery and the railing is very wobbly.

Barclay Lake is only about 0.5 miles beyond the bridge. This final section of the journey will grant you more views of the mountain peaks to your left, but they will be overshadowed by Baring Mountain to your right. Massive Baring Mountain will peek at you through the trees until you reach the lake. This mountain is truly a sight to behold.

You will be able to see Barclay Lake glimmering at you between the trees letting you know that you have finally arrived. This lake has some of the most beautiful colors I’ve ever seen in a body of water. You can continue on the trail for another 0.5 miles to walk the entire length of the lake and get different views of Baring Mountain, or you can find a nice spot next to its shore to soak in the views. We stopped at a couple of spots to look at different angels of Baring Mountain. Along the lake are also several camping spots that are well spaced out to offer seclusion. I have always wanted to camp here and plan to do so one day. We saw a few campers and paddle boarders soaking in their surroundings. If you’re lucky, you might even see a family of ducks slowly drifting along the lake’s surface.

While Barclay Lake itself is a gem, Baring Mountain definitely steals the show. It is hard not to gaze upon it as it towers over you from across the lake. It’s unique shape is one of the reasons why this is one of my favorite mountains.

Before we left the lake, we found a spot along shore where I could fly my drone away from others to capture different angles of Baring Mountain and Barclay Lake from above.

Assuming the optimal drone pilot squatting position
The set up…
….and the final shots

Note for the reader: I share these locations so that others can see beautiful places and enjoy nature as much as I do. Please be respectful of the outdoors and what condition it is in when you visit. Don’t go off trail, leave no trace, and pack out what you came in with.

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