You get a double dose of high lakes on this trail with a wicked switchy trip over Wonker Pass and down the Trail Creek basin to an intersection where you can go left to the Minam or right to Eagle Creek. The first lake is Echo Lake which is a bit bigger than the next lake, Traverse Lake. They are 1.5 miles apart on the trail, but rather close as the creek flows. You get a good view of a water fall heading up the after about 2.5 miles and then after you cross over the pass and down the other side, you can see some beautiful cascades of Trail Creek when the snow is still running off. There are a lot of mountain goats and elk around this trail.
The trail is well constructed and in good shape. I really like the design of this trail and it offers some great visuals along the way. Just over a mile into the trail, there is a crossing of West Eagle Creek that will require you to get in the water. In 2017, there was a tree across a short ways up stream that you could check for. It is very wide and gentle the first couple miles and then starts to climb up more rapidly after a second crossing of West Eagle Creek which should be easier than the first. As you climb there is a good view of a waterfall coming out of a side canyon and then you meet the junction with Tombstone Lake Trail. This can be a confusing intersection since the sign doesn't say Echo Lake but someone fixed that with a sharpie. Stay right.
From this intersection, the trail gets serious as it works its way through talus fields toward where it benches out just before Echo Lake. Expect about 37 switchbacks, but I always lose count on these types of trails. Note there is no water between the last crossing of the creek and the top of this section so make sure you're good for this stretch. As you come back to the creek, you'll have to cross it and then it is a good gentle run up to the lake. Several camp spots exist around the lake. Traverse Lake has less options but is a more idyllic lake with some nice water running on rock over the spillway. Beyond the lakes the trail wraps around up to Wonker. As you approach the top of the ridge heading toward the pass, hop up to take a view of Lowry Gulch. It is impressive.
After Wonker Pass, you enter the Trail Creek Basin and switch back down through rock then then take a beautiful long traverse across the basin for another series of switchbacks where the scenery starts changing rapidly to bigger trees and more lush landscape. Eventually you come to a nice meadow with a camp spot at the edge of it. The trail disappears in this meadow. It has a stick in a rock cairn at the end you enter. Just head straight across the marshy meadow to cross the stream where the trails picks up again on the other side. Finish off the trail with a few minor switchbacks through the thicker woods and cross Trail Creek to immediately find the trail intersection that officially ends this trail.
About a mile out from Traverse Lake there is a sign that says "No Fires Beyond This Point." There is another sign beyond the lake pointing the other direction that says the same. These looked new relative to all the other dilapidated signs in the Eagle Cap, but I'm not sure when this regulation started. I've never heard anything about it and it is not part of The Lakes Basin management area.
A Northwest Forest Pass is required at the trailhead or $5 a day fee. There is a campground and vault toilets at both the regular trailhead and stock trailhead. There is also some walk-in camping along the meadow at West Eagle.
The 77 Road from Catherine Summit is much improved from Taylor Green down to West Eagle meadow so that is an option coming from the Union side and the other route is to drive to near Main Eagle and go up to West Eagle, via Big Creek in Medical Springs.
Trail Notes
- 0.0 mi. Start at West Eagle Meadow parking (note there is a different trail start from the stock parking that is 0.2 longer)
- 0.5 Fake Creek Trail intersection (stay left)
- 3.1 Junction with Tombstone Lake Trail, stay right (6140' elev.)
- 5.4 Echo Lake (7241')
- 7.0 Traverse Lake (7740')
- 8.7 Wonker Pass (8512')
- 13.3 Trail Creek Intersection (6221')
