Greetings! You're invited to hike up, down and all around beautiful Battle Ground Lake State Park in central Clark County (just NE of Battle Ground the town). The address is 18002 NE 249th St, Battle Ground, WA.

The centerpiece of the park is Battle Ground Lake, a 28-acre body of water that sits in the caldera of a volcano that erupted approximately 100,000 years ago. Like Crater Lake (but smaller), Battle Ground Lake has no inflow or outflow creek; it is an entrapped body of water.

THE HIKE:

The hike will be approximately 5 miles, with about 500-600 feet of elevation gain, depending on the route taken. The quality of the trail is quite good overall, unless it rains a lot before the event date, in which case some sections can be muddy. There are some rocky and rooty sections. The hiking route will include the Outer trail, a shared hiker/equestrian trail that can have some occasional horse poop on it, which is typically easy to avoid. The Upper and Lower lake trails, which we will also do, are designated for hikers only.

The pace will be a moderately brisk 2.5 MPH. Please be able to maintain that pace over 5 miles, as it is important for the group to stay together to avoid missed turns, lost hikers, etc. Check the weather forecast and dress appropriately. Sturdy footwear is recommended. Bring water and snacks. Hiking poles are optional.

Please note that by signing up for this hike, you agree to take full responsibility for your well-being at all times, while also acting as a supportive member of the group. Supporting the group includes arriving on time, only showing up if you're on the Going list, not leaving the group without telling someone, observing basic hiking etiquette and not dashing ahead of the hike leader (thank you).

FYI, we will pass 3 restrooms on the hike, one near the main parking lot, one on the east lake shore and one at the equestrian parking area on the west side of the park. During winter months, only the east lake shore facilities are open.

PARKING PERMIT:

A Washington State Parks Discover Pass is required, and can be purchased on site at the kiosk across from the ranger's shack ($10.00 for a one-day pass or $30.00 for an annual pass; cheaper than online). No other type of pass is accepted. The Discover Pass can be purchased online at store.discoverpass.wa.gov ($11.50 for a one-day pass or $35.00 for an annual pass, note the recent price increases). Don't forget to display your pass on your dashboard or hang it from your rearview mirror, else you'll probably get a citation.

COMMUTE:

The best driving route from Portland or Vancouver is to go up SR 503 (NE 117th Ave / NE Lewisville Hwy), and then either head north on NE Grace Ave out of the east end of Battle Ground, or jog east on Eaton Blvd south of Battle Ground to NE 167th Ave, NE 182nd Ave, etc.

CARPOOLING:

Except during pandemics, participants from Portland are normally encouraged to consider carpooling from a convenient location like the Gateway Transit Center (1249 NE 99th Ave, Portland). A good departure time from Gateway TC is a full hour before the hike start time, as it can potentially take 45 minutes to reach BG Lake from there.

MEETING SPOT:

Turn into the park main entrance and proceed all the way up the drive and around the bend. Turn RIGHT into the main parking area after passing the ranger's guard shack. We'll meet at the WEST end of the main parking area next to the bulletin board. Please be on time; we'll depart the parking lot at the scheduled time.

HAPPY HOUR:

For an optional lunch gathering after the hike, there's a brew pub on Main Street in Battle Ground that is happy to serve a group of hungry, thirsty hikers. It is called Barrel Mountain Brewing, 607 E Main St, Battle Ground, WA.

REGARDING CANCELLATIONS:

If you have to cancel, please provide at least 24 hours' notice, if at all possible. Given the high demand for group hikes, that gives people on the Wait List a realistic chance of attending. If you're on the Wait List and make other plans, please drop off the Wait List by clicking on "Edit RSVP" near the bottom of the event page.

ENABLING COMMUNICATIONS:

Active group members should turn on Meetup Messaging so that event hosts can communicate with you as needed. From any Meetup page (web browser or smartphone app), click/tap on your photo, and in the dropdown list that appears (browser) or via the gear icon (smartphone app), select Settings > Email updates. On that page, turn the following options ON:

"Updates from Meetup" (first section):
\-\-\-\> Messages $turn ON$
\-\-\-\> Replies to my comments $turn ON$

"Updates about your groups" (second section):
\-\-\-\> 55\+ FUN Fitness with Fphysical Activities \> Edit \> Turn ON all notifications\.

CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES:

This event is open to those who are are vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccinations for RSV and the flu are also a good idea.

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Battle Ground Lake State Park Hike (5 miles, +600 feet)

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Battle Ground Lake State Park Hike (5 miles, +600 feet)

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