
Eightmile Lake is an easy out-and-back day hike located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, not too far from The Enchantments. This is a great hike for catching fall foliage, the aftermath of a previous wildfire, and an amazing alpine lake view at the end.
Adventure Stats
Hiked on: October 22, 2022
Trip Type: Day Hike
Hike Time: <3hrs, minimal stops except for pictures
Weather: 28F/21F cloudy
Popularity: Low, I ran into maybe 12 other hikers
Route Finding: Easy
Trail Hazards: None
Bug Pressure: None
Key Features: Mountains, lakes, fall colors
Route
Distance: 6.2mi out-and-back
Elevation: +1374ft/-1390ft
Location: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Direct Link to Trailhead: Google Maps
Here's the hike on a few different platforms:
Trail Report
The road leading up to the trailhead is an unpaved dirt road with lots of exposed rocks. The road was bumpy but doable. There was no ice or snow on the road leading up to the trailhead at the time of writing, chains were not yet necessary.
The parking lot is just across the street from the trailhead. It's big enough to accommodate about a dozen cars. I arrived at 3pm on a Saturday in late October and there were plenty of parking spots. In order to park here, you are required to have a Northwest Forest Pass or equivalent. I used an America the Beautiful (national park) interagency pass.
For anyone who had to travel far to get to the trailhead like me, there is a vault toilet near the parking lot.
Despite it's name, the trail to Eightmile Lake was only about 3.5miles each way. The trail to the lake was sustained uphill almost the entire way, but the steepness was very manageable.

The first mile of the trail is through autumn foliage. I passed through a few small groves of aspens with golden leaves. There were no larches present on the hike, and you won't expect to see bright red and orange fall colors.

About 1 to 2 miles in, the trail goes through a section of the forest previously affected by wildfires. It was quite breathtaking to see the scorch-marks left behind on the trees.

At about 3 miles in, I reached Mini Eightmile Lake. At this elevation, I began to see slight dusting of snow on the shrubs near the trail. It also just barely began to snow.

Eightmile Lake was just another half mile away. I took an offshoot from the trail to get down to the shore, which was covered in driftwood. The views at the shore were not to be missed!

The way back was entirely downhill with some good views of autumn colors.
Clothing & gear recommendations: Between miles 1-3, there are exposed dry shrubs that can be scratchy, long pants are recommended. At these temperatures, I recommend packing warm clothes in a day pack. By the time I finished up my hike, I wish I had gloves.
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