Spada Lake

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Status:	Open
Typically Open:	Year Round
Difficulty:	1-2 ( EASY )
Length:	9.25 miles
Highest Elevation:	2002 feet
Duration:	About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Shape of Trail:	Out & Back
Best Direction to Travel:	N/A
Nearest Town:	Gold Bar
Nearest Town w/ Services:	Gold Bar
Official Road Name:	NF-6129
Management Agency:	WA Department of Natural Resources
District:

Highlights

Criss-Cross over Olney Creek as you climb up to Sultan Basin and Spada Lake Reservior, where you'll be surrounded by the Bald and Blue Mountains in this peaceful and windy wooded forest trail. Enjoy the stumps and quiet scenery of Spada Lake or make a day of it and hike to Grieder and Boulder Lakes which begin at the South Shore Recreational Site.

Video

Route Information

Advanced Rating System

Recommended Vehicle:

2WD Vehicle with High Clearance

Concerns:

Summary:

Trail is 2 vehicles wide in most areas.

Technical Rating

MANDATORY

1

EASY

OPTIONAL

2

EASY

Dirt and/or rocky road. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 5" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 5" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 6" inches. Good tire placement likely. Can be steep, but with good traction.

Community Consensus

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Description

Travel on maintained forest service roads with occasional potholes. Take Sultan Basin Road to NF-6129 and stop at the Recreational Sites or day hike.

Waypoints

1. Trailhead (0 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Paved road ends and the switchbacks begin. A good climb to start the trail! Look out for Olney Creek on your left.

2. Pullout #1 (0.3 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Switchbacks continue, see Olney Creek from a higher view.

3. Bridge #1 (0.7 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. First of three bridges on this trail.

4. Bridge #2 (1.3 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Bridge two of three.

5. Hill #1 (2 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Be aware of target shooters here. Stay Right.

6. Hill #2 (2.5 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Be aware of target shooters here. Stay Right.

7. Olney Pass (2.9 mi)

Head Southeast on Sultan Basin Rd. Go Right at sign to begin NF-6129 (South Shore Road). Please fill out the entry form under the bulletin board before continuing for the Sultan River Watershed. It is free to continue on but it's required to fill out the form. Keep the yellow sheet on your dash and place the white in the mailbox. Read the rules as there is no swimming, and special boating and fishing rules. This is a RESERVOIR. If you wish, you can also park here, and hike down NF-6120 (to the Left) to see the North Shore Recreational Sites.

8. Boulder Pullout #1 (4.4 mi)

Continue on NF-6129. Catch the first peeks of the lake!

9. Bridge #3 (4.8 mi)

Continue on NF-6129. If you are lucky, catch a glimpse of Bald Mountain in the distance at the final bridge.

10. Boulder Pullout #2 (5.1 mi)

Continue on NF-6129. Trail does get narrower here.

11. Recreational Site and Boat Ramp (6.2 mi)

Continue on NF-6129. Take the small driveway to the left to get to the Recreational Site and Boat Ramp. There are picnic tables and outhouses as well as a paved parking lot. Drive down the boat ramp for a quick glamour shot of your rig! Read the rules as there is no swimming, and special boating and fishing rules. This is a RESERVOIR.

12. Gate to Hiking Trailheads (7.8 mi)

Continue on NF-6129. Keep Left to get to the Greider and Boulder Lake trailheads and South Shore Recreational Site.

13. Parking Lot (7.8 mi)

Take a hike to Greider or Boulder Lake. There are shorter hikes down the trail to other viewpoints of Spada Lake. Have lunch at the picnic tables or climb on the stumps. It is a very quiet place to relax. There are outhouses here. Read the rules as there is no swimming, and special boating and fishing rules. This is a RESERVOIR.

Directions to Trailhead

Starting Point: Gold Bar

From the West: Follow US-2 East to Sultan Basin Rd in Sultan. Turn left onto Sultan Basin Rd. From the East: Follow US-2 West. Turn right onto Kellogg Lake Rd. Keep right to stay on Kellogg Lake Rd. Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Sultan Basin Rd.

Camping

Not allowed

While there is no overnight camping on this route, Waypoint 11 - Recreational Site and Boat Ramp (6.2 mi) and Waypoint 13 - Parking Lot (7.8 mi) have outhouses and picnic tables. Nearest Camping: Wallace Falls State Park 2mi Northeast Of Gold Bar, Gold Bar WA 98251 $$, 7 sites, All Year, No RVs, All ages, Tents Only Camp, 1827 ft elev, tables, grill, water, toilets, fish, trail, hike, walk-in Lake Bronson Club Family Nudist Park From Jct Hwy 203 & US 2, go 8.25 mi E on US 2, then 5.25 mi W on Sultan Basin Rd., Sultan WA $$$$, 24 sites, All year, All Ages, Tents, 759 ft elev, 24 pull thrus, electric, 24 elec-water hookups, water, toilets, showers, dump, laundry, pet friendly extra rules, Call required

Land Use Issues

Check with the Washington Department of Natural Resources for wildfire or access status. Wildfire Hotline 1-800-562-6010 Office (360) 902-1000 WA DNR Fire Twitter Feed Below

More Information

Trail Reviews (25)

Questions & Answers (2)

Q: Do the trails that are managed by the WA Department of Natural Resources require any type of permits - or are they open for public use for off-roading?

–Michael (05/08/2021)

A: Generally, no permits are required on Washington DNR lands. On this particular trail, DNR asks you to sign in at Waypoint 7 for visitor purposes since you are visiting a drinking water site. In Washington as a whole, its nice to have the State and Federal Passes in case you are on trails that journey in and out of different Land Managements entities.

–Jasmine & Jon Hughes (02/26/2022)

Q: Are dirt bikes ol to take on the trails?

–James (08/25/2018)

A: You can ride your dirt bike anywhere along the waypoints on the road. Don't forget to sign in at Waypoint 7, it is free. A DNR ranger did ask to see my sign in paper while I was out there. Once you get to Waypoint 13, if you wish to continue to Greider Lake, those are hike in only.

–Jasmine & Jon Hughes (08/27/2018)

Writer Information

Jasmine & Jon Hughes

Mapping Crew - Washington

Centered in the pinnacle of the Pacific NW and growing up cruising around the small town of Quilcene, Jasmine grew with a fascination and passion for outdoors and travel, many of those adventures fueled by the family's 1998 Jeep Cherokee. Years later, photography grew as a way to capture and share the adventures being had. After a road trip from Seattle to San Diego in a 1996 Jetta, a 4WD truck would be the next step in going further in photographing the wild places of the West. In December of 2016, a manual 1989 Toyota Pickup was purchased and those dreams would continue to flourish. Jon grew up in a small Wisconsin town. In 2004, his parents decided to purchase a new Jeep LJ. They picked the LJ because of the additional room, as it would be used for a road trip to Florida. After joining the navy, the family Jeep followed Jon down to Georgia and became his own. It took him to Virginia, and then Washington. It wasn't until Washington that things started to happen for Jon and his Jeep. Jasmine, now his wife, got him more interested in hiking, and ultimately overlanding. Over time, Jon and Jasmine realized that they wanted to use the Jeep to tackle harder trails, and spend weekends in ORV parks. It was through this decision that the mostly stock Jeep received a refreshing upgrade after 15 years of driving. Jon usually drives the Jeep when the trail is in question, and to allow Jasmine to document the trails. Currently, Jon has been in 26 states with the Jeep, via family trips and his time in the navy. Jon hopes to travel to every state with his Jeep, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Gold Bar, Washington (Snohomish County)