Packwood Lake | |
---|---|
Location | Lewis County, Washington, United States |
Coordinates | 46°35′9″N121°33′32″W / 46.58583°N 121.55889°W |
Primary inflows | Upper and Lower Lake Creeks |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
Max. width | 0.6 mi (1 km) |
Surface elevation | 2,857 ft (871 m) |
Islands | 1 (Wizard Island or Enchantment Island) |
Packwood Lake is a freshwater lake in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. [1] 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.
The lake was named after William Packwood, an early settler. [2]
Packwood Lake lies at approximately 2,857 feet (871 m) above sea level and about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Mount Rainier. Its main source of water is glacier-fed Upper and Lower Lake Creeks, which descend from Old Snowy Mountain. The lake is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 0.6 miles (0.97 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 (49 m). The island in the lake is officially named Agnes Island, and also referred to by locals as both Wizard Island or Enchantment Island. The island is protected by the U.S. Forest Service and no landings are permitted there.
Packwood Lake is home to a genetically distinct species 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.[ citation needed ] 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 bears are also fairly common, as are deer, elk, raccoon, cougar, and (in the higher elevations above the lake) mountain goats.
Packwood Lake has been used for several thousand years by Native Americans 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.
Packwood Lake was dammed in 1964 to produce electricity. 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.
Packwood lake is a popular hiking destination for both day hikers and campers. The trail 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 and horses. 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.
The lake itself is a very popular fishing hole and may be fished from shore or paddle boat (motors are prohibited). Additionally, fishing with a two-pole endorsement is not allowed.
Olympic National Park is a national park of the United States located in Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier east side. Within the park there are three distinct ecosystems, including subalpine forest and wildflower meadow, temperate forest, and the rugged Pacific coast.
Mount Adams, known by some Native American tribes as Pahto or Klickitat, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range. Although Adams has not erupted in more than 1,000 years, it is not considered extinct. It is the second-highest mountain in Washington, after Mount Rainier.
Indian Heaven is a volcanic field in Skamania County in the state of Washington, in the United States. Midway between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, the field dates from the Pleistocene to the early Holocene epoch. It trends north to south and is dominated by six small shield volcanoes; these shields are topped by small spatter and cinder cones, and the field includes a number of subglacial volcanoes and tuyas. The northernmost peak in the field is Sawtooth Mountain and the southernmost is Red Mountain; its highest point is Lemei Rock at an elevation of 5,925 feet (1,806 m).
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Goat Rocks is an extinct stratovolcano in the Cascade Range, located between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams in southern Washington, in the United States. Part of the Cascade Volcanoes, it was formed by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate under the western edge of the North American Plate. The volcano was active from 3.2 million years ago until eruptions ceased between 1 and 0.5 million years ago. Throughout its complex eruptive history, volcanism shifted from silicic explosive eruptions to voluminous, mafic activity.
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Ashley National Forest is a National Forest located in northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Within the Forest's bounds are 1,382,346 acres (5,594 km2) of vast forests, lakes, and mountains, with elevations ranging from 6,000 to 13,500 feet. The forest covers portions of Daggett, Duchesne, Summit, Uintah, and Utah counties in Utah and Sweetwater County in Wyoming. Some of the most popular landmarks located in the forest include the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and the Uinta Mountains, which contains the highest mountain peak in Utah. The forest also includes 276,175 acres (1,117.64 km2), or about 60.5%, of the High Uintas Wilderness. The headquarters for the Ashley National Forest are located in Vernal, Utah with ranger district offices in Vernal; Duchesne, Utah; Roosevelt, Utah; Manila, Utah; and Green River, Wyoming.
Goat Rocks Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in Washington, United States, comprising 108,096 acres (43,745 ha) of Okanagan–Wenatchee National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the crest of the Cascade Range south of U.S. Highway 12. Its central feature is a number of rugged peaks, the Goat Rocks, that are named after the numerous mountain goats that live in the area.
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Strawberry Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area of the Strawberry Mountain Range, within Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of east Oregon. The area comprises 69,350 acres (28,060 ha), including mountain peaks and several lakes, and contains more than 125 miles (201 km) of hiking trails. Strawberry Mountain was designated wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964, and in 1984 more than doubled in size with the passage of the Oregon Wilderness Act. It is managed by the United States Forest Service.
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Fourmile Lake is a reservoir located 5,748 feet (1,752 m) above sea level in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Medford. The lake was created when the 25-foot (7.6 m) tall Fourmile Lake Dam was constructed, impounding Fourmile Creek, in the Klamath River watershed. It is located just to the east of Mount McLoughlin, which stands 9,495 feet (2,894 m) above sea level. The lake is bordered by Sky Lakes Wilderness, and is in the Winema National Forest.
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