Lake Serene & Bridal Veil Falls Trailhead - Hiking area in Gold Bar - Parking lot, Mt Index River Rd, USA

Embarking on the 8-mile round trip to Lake Serene & Bridal Veil Falls in the midst of a snowy landscape is an invigorating odyssey not for the faint of heart. This demanding trek demands thorough preparation, particularly when faced with challenging snow conditions. However, the panoramic views from the summit and the enchanting sight of Lake Serene make every arduous step worthwhile. Bridal Veil Falls adds a touch of majestic beauty to the already stunning surroundings, creating a memorable visual spectacle. For those daring enough to tackle the snowy trails, a valuable suggestion is to bring along some hot drinks. Pausing on the hill, warming up with a beverage, and soaking in the snowy panorama creates a memorable experience that adds to the allure of the journey. Despite the challenges, the 8-mile hike to Lake Serene & Bridal Veil Falls offers a perfect blend of adventure and natural beauty, making it an ideal choice for avid hikers seeking a challenging yet rewarding winter trek. Be well-prepared, take in the breathtaking scenery, and savor the beauty of this snowy outdoor escapade.

Beautiful hike on a well maintained trail. Gets pretty rocky during the switch backs. So as a 30 -something year old, it was hard on my knees and back. Full 8 miles including the bridal veil trail took us about 4.5 hours to complete. Lake Serene is worth the climb. Remember to bring Northwest Forest Pass or America The Beautiful pass. The Discover Pass is not accepted here. You can scan a QR code on the info board to pay for $5 e-pass.

Beautiful, but challenging hike once you get to the split in the trail for the Falls or the Lake. The elevation gain is 2900ft. Adding the falls adds about 1 mile there and back adding about an hour to the hike if you got to the lake as well. The hike to falls is easier than the lake, but it is still almost always up hill with mostly dirt trails and stairs. Going to the lake, the trail has a mixture of roots and stones and steep switch backs but is well laid out. There is a toilet at the top. Bring your own TP. Also, this time of year, the trail is wet with slippery rocks. Once at the top, you are treated to glacier remnants and a beautiful blue/green alpine lake.

The ultimate reward for a hype that you will definitely remember. So incredibly cool. And this hike is the screensaver on my phone because of its incredible diverse beauty on the hike itself. Lake Serene is this mountaintop lake surrounded by sheer rock walls and is definitely worth the freezing swim as a reward when you get there. The kind of hike that will just make you proud. The kind of hype that your soul will remember forever

Great hike! It’s a bit steep with some elevation gain. Still, it was worthwhile. The scenery up at the lake was breathtaking.

Great trail! Very difficult. Lots of incline and stairs, rocks. Beautiful and worth the work. Took us about 5 hours to do the 9 mile hike. Stop at Bridal Veil Falls on the way up! Trust me, you won’t feel like it on the way down. This trail is most definitely HARD. We did it on a Thursday, arrived at the trailhead about lunch time. Hiked up to the falls then the lake, took a nice long break at Lunch rock. It was good conditions, not real muddy.

Get there early, this is a popular trail. We rated it as the hardest easiest trail, meaning it was on the high side of easy. We got here at 9 and there were maybe 5 cars and we saw no one on our way up. But as we returned to the bottom around 11, we ran into other hikers and the parking lot was full.

Trail is steep after the fork between falls and the lake. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. Is pretty grueling with 2.7 miles climbing 2000 feet after the fork. As snowmelt comes down the mountain, it keeps the steep portion of the trail very wet and humid. Becoming soaked in sweat happens fast, I had to stop to just dry off more than once. Warning... backpacks without ventilation and cotton clothes will become soaked with sweat.