06/05/2026
One of the most popular hikes along the Mountain Loop Highway, Lake 22 sits beneath a cirque carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The old-growth cedar and hemlock forest surrounding the lake was set aside in 1947 as a Research Natural Area, protecting one of the region's remaining untouched old-growth ecosystems while providing a living laboratory for scientific study. Preserved and protected for generations, it remains a place to be explored and enjoyed by thousands of hikers each year. 🌲
