View from Green Lake Road
- Summary:
- The road is a continuation of the Sawmill Creek Boulevard that follows the shoreline of Silver Bay from Herring Cove about 7 miles before turning uphill to end at the shores of Green Lake. The road was built as a service road for Green Lake Dam. Public access is by foot or bicycle only. There is light vehicle traffic from both the hydroelectric facility and the Medvejie salmon hatchery at Bear Cove.
- Seasons: All
- Due to its regular use as an access road for the hatchery and Green Lake power facility, the road is kept clear year round. In winter there may be packed snow and ice.
- Difficulty: Moderately Easy
- Elevation Change: Moderate
- There are a number of small hills along the road that can be strenuous to ride up on a bicycle. Many people find it necessary to walk their bike up the last (large) hill as the road heads up to Green Lake.
- Route Finding: Easy
- Trail Condition: Very Good
- Although the road is not maintained for public access, it is maintained for regular vehicle access. The typical hybrid or mountain bike should have little trouble and the hiker even less.
- In winter the road may be icy.
- Getting There:
- Follow Sawmill Creek Boulevard past the Industrial Park. After it crosses Sawmill Creek, the pavement ends and the gravel road continues for another mile or two. There is a gate that blocks further vehicular traffic at Herring Cove. The gate is approximately 7 miles from downtown. Many people bicycle to and from town. If you drive, the turnaround area at the gate is large enough for several cars to park off to the side.
- Things to See
-
- Bears frequent the road during parts of the year. I have never seen a bear on the road while hiking or biking it but I have seen bear scat many times.
- In past years there has been an active eagle nest near the road between Herring Cove and Bear Cove.
- Medvejie Hatchery
is located at Bear Cove. - Marine life may be seen in Silver Bay. Seals are probably the most commonly seen marine mammal, with whales
and sealions occasionally showing up as well. - Impressive views of the surrounding mountains.
- Green Lake Dam
- Destinations
- Many people just walk, jog, or bicycle along the road as far as they feel like on a given day, but there are a couple of destinations that may be of particular interest.
Destination Distance From Herring Cove (one way/round trip)
Time (one way/round trip)Bear Cove 3.5 miles/7 miles
20-40 minutes/1-2 hours (bicycle)
1-1.5 hours/2-4 hours (walking)Green Lake 7 miles/14 miles
1-2 hours/3-8 hours (bicycle) - Connecting Trails
- Medvejie Lake Trail
The sign at the gate mentions a Bear Mountain trail off the Green Lake Road before reaching Bear Cove, but we saw no trailhead. Does it not exist anymore?
There are a couple of routes (trails) up Bear Mountain from off of Green Lake Road (one on the front part of the mountain, the other going to Bear Lake close to the Bear Cove side of things). As far as I know, neither of them have ever been official. Next time I’m out that way, I’ll check the sign on the road, as I don’t remember the unofficial trails ever being mentioned.