Packwood Lake
Encyclopedia
Packwood Lake is a freshwater
lake
in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. It is located near the town of Packwood
and is a popular day hiking
and overnight camping
area. The southern half of the lake lies within the Goat Rocks Wilderness
area.
and about 25 miles (40.5 km) southeast of Mount Rainier
. Its main source of water is glacier-fed Upper and Lower Lake Creeks, which descend from Gilbert Peak (also known as Old Snowy Mountain). The lake is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 0.6 miles (1 km) wide.
The lake is held in place by a natural dam
. Approximately 1,200 years ago, Snyder Mountain, which borders the lake to the northwest, broke and slid down into the (then) Lake Creek valley
, effectively plugging it and forming the lake. Maximum depth is approximately 160 feet (48.8 m). There is an unnamed island
in the lake, known by locals as both Wizard Island or Enchantment Island. The island is protected by the US Forest Service and no landings are permitted there.
of rainbow trout
. This trout has evolved
for over a thousand years, separated from other populations of fish
. It is known for its excellent taste, large size, and drab creamy coloring. Due to many years of stocking, however, the fish is becoming less and less prominent as its gene pool
becomes diluted by stocked fish.
Also calling this lake home are several species of birds, including heron
, bald eagle
, and wood duck
. Black bear
are also fairly common, as are deer
, elk
, raccoon
, cougar, and (in the higher elevations above the lake) mountain goat
s.
as summer quarters and hunting territory. Due to extremely cold winters and subsequent heavy snows, the area is considered largely uninhabitable during the winter.
Prospectors thoroughly searched the area of the lake in the early 1920s. Although some gold
and silver
was found, the small quantities and remoteness of the area proved mining
to be not economical.
. There is a small 27-megawatt dam at the foot of the lake which has taken over the job of holding back the lake from the Snyder Mountain landslide. Great care was used when designing and building the dam so as not to affect the abundant wildlife
that calls the lake and surrounding area home. The actual dam structure is only a couple of feet tall, creating only a small holding pond which feeds the penstock
.
Water from Packwood Lake is also piped to the town of Packwood and supplies the greater Packwood area.
leading to the lake, Packwood Lake Trail #78, is also a popular entrance to the Goat Rocks Wilderness and surrounding area. The lake is also used as a stopping ground for travellers headed to Mosquito and Lost Lakes to the north, and Gilbert Peak to the southeast.
An all-terrain vehicle
trail (the 'low trail') was completed some years ago and offers ATV and horse
access to the lake. The 'upper trail' is reserved for hikers only, though many people ride horses on it and deposit trail apples
for hikers to step in. Both trails, upper and lower, are approximately 5 miles (8 km) to the lake from a well-maintained and paved parking lot. Continuing past the lake, hikers are offered hundreds of miles of trails covering breathtaking scenery, and the Pacific Crest Trail
may be reached about 7 miles (11.3 km) beyond the lake.
Due to the severe winter storms of late 2006 and early 2007 the lower trail is currently closed to ATVs. Check with the local wildlife centers to learn of its availability.
The lake itself is a very popular fishing
hole and may be fished from shore or paddle
boat
(motors
are prohibited). Additionally, fishing with bait is prohibited (lures
only) and all lures may contain only a single barbless hook.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in southern Washington, USA. With an area of 1.37 million acres , it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. It includes the 110,000 acre Mount St....
in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. It is located near the town of Packwood
Packwood, Washington
Packwood is an unincorporated community located in easternmost Lewis County, Washington.Packwood is located at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 . It is located between Mount Rainier National Park to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument...
and is a popular day hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and overnight camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
area. The southern half of the lake lies within the Goat Rocks Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Washington, United States. Consisting of portions of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the crest of the Cascade Range south of U.S...
area.
Geology
Packwood Lake lies at approximately 2857 feet (870.8 m) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and about 25 miles (40.5 km) southeast of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. Its main source of water is glacier-fed Upper and Lower Lake Creeks, which descend from Gilbert Peak (also known as Old Snowy Mountain). The lake is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 0.6 miles (1 km) wide.
The lake is held in place by a natural dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
. Approximately 1,200 years ago, Snyder Mountain, which borders the lake to the northwest, broke and slid down into the (then) Lake Creek valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, effectively plugging it and forming the lake. Maximum depth is approximately 160 feet (48.8 m). There is an unnamed island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the lake, known by locals as both Wizard Island or Enchantment Island. The island is protected by the US Forest Service and no landings are permitted there.
Biology
Packwood Lake is home to a genetically distinct speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
. This trout has evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
for over a thousand years, separated from other populations of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. It is known for its excellent taste, large size, and drab creamy coloring. Due to many years of stocking, however, the fish is becoming less and less prominent as its gene pool
Gene pool
In population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
becomes diluted by stocked fish.
Also calling this lake home are several species of birds, including heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
, bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, and wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
. Black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
are also fairly common, as are deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, cougar, and (in the higher elevations above the lake) mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
s.
History
Packwood Lake has been used for several thousand years by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
as summer quarters and hunting territory. Due to extremely cold winters and subsequent heavy snows, the area is considered largely uninhabitable during the winter.
Prospectors thoroughly searched the area of the lake in the early 1920s. Although some gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
was found, the small quantities and remoteness of the area proved mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
to be not economical.
Economy
Packwood lake was dammed by man in 1964 to produce electricityElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. There is a small 27-megawatt dam at the foot of the lake which has taken over the job of holding back the lake from the Snyder Mountain landslide. Great care was used when designing and building the dam so as not to affect the abundant wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
that calls the lake and surrounding area home. The actual dam structure is only a couple of feet tall, creating only a small holding pond which feeds the penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
.
Water from Packwood Lake is also piped to the town of Packwood and supplies the greater Packwood area.
Recreation
Packwood lake is a popular hiking destination for both day hikers and campers. The trailTrail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
leading to the lake, Packwood Lake Trail #78, is also a popular entrance to the Goat Rocks Wilderness and surrounding area. The lake is also used as a stopping ground for travellers headed to Mosquito and Lost Lakes to the north, and Gilbert Peak to the southeast.
An all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
trail (the 'low trail') was completed some years ago and offers ATV and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
access to the lake. The 'upper trail' is reserved for hikers only, though many people ride horses on it and deposit trail apples
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
for hikers to step in. Both trails, upper and lower, are approximately 5 miles (8 km) to the lake from a well-maintained and paved parking lot. Continuing past the lake, hikers are offered hundreds of miles of trails covering breathtaking scenery, and the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
may be reached about 7 miles (11.3 km) beyond the lake.
Due to the severe winter storms of late 2006 and early 2007 the lower trail is currently closed to ATVs. Check with the local wildlife centers to learn of its availability.
The lake itself is a very popular fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
hole and may be fished from shore or paddle
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
(motors
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
are prohibited). Additionally, fishing with bait is prohibited (lures
Fishing lure
A fishing lure is an object attached to the end of a fishing line which is designed to resemble and move like the prey of a fish. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration, and colour to catch the fish's attention so it bites the hook...
only) and all lures may contain only a single barbless hook.