Big Heart Lake - 16.0 Miles Round-Trip

The West Fork Foss River Trail reaches deep into the highest concentration of lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness between Highway 2 and I-90. Big Heart Lake is located 8.2 miles from the trailhead in a stunning cirque at the head of the valley. Visitors will enjoy varied terrain, several waterfalls, access to multiple lakes and great camping on the hike to Big Heart Lake:

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

The trail enters the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and joins the West Fork Foss at .4 miles. Views open to Shoestring Falls and the rocky ridge of Malachite Peak as it winds past debris from a 2006 flood to a new footbridge over the river (.98 miles : 1,675’).

Once across it rises gently in a captivating forest of ancient hemlock and cedar to Trout Lake (1.85 miles : 1,920’). The day use area here includes a natural swimming beach, established campsites and privy.

The trail arcs west past Trout Lake along Copper Creek to Upper Copper Falls (2.4 miles: 2,264’), then begins a 2 mile climb on switchbacks toward the bench holding Malachite and Copper Lakes. It gains 1500' between Trout and Copper Lake on this long, methodical climb.

The trail switchbacks along the creek through open areas of fireweed and vine maple to Malachite Falls at the headwall below Malachite and Copper lakes. It crosses under some granite crags and fords a stream at 4.0 miles (3,305’).

Travel moderates after crossing a creek at 4.2 miles and passes through yellow cedar and mountain hemlock to the Lake Malachite junction (4.75 miles : 3.751’). A short, steep spur breaks .2 miles west to Lake Malachite (3,990’).

The main trail keeps straight across an outlet creek on flat stones to the north end of Copper Lake (5.1 miles: 3.780’). It undulates and winds above Copper Lake's east shore with great views of the cirque, bending SE past the far end along a creek up to Little Heart Lake (6.47 miles : 4,026’).

While campsites are difficult to find here, there a few good ones lower on the climb between Copper and Little Heart.

Switchbacks resume at 6.6 miles up a divisive ridge between Little Heart Lake and Big Heart Lake. The trail climbs 700’ to the ridgetop (6.9 miles), and eases briefly with views over a small pond before continuing up and around the conical ridge.

It rounds the far side of the ridge with views down West Fork Valley to Trout Lake and Glacier Peak (7.5 miles : 4,700’). Here it drops 300' through intervals of talus and old growth timber to Big Heart Lake (8.0 miles : 4.418’). Established campsites and a privy can be found on the south side of the log-jammed outlet creek, with more campsites north of the creek.

For an adventurous extension, continue along Big Heart Lake to gain a minor ridge separating it from Angeline Lake to the SE.  From here a rugged, unmaintained track can be followed into the East Fork Foss lakes basin – a traverse dubbed the Alpine Lakes High Route by Fred Beckey.