Horse Lake Reserve

May 15, 2025 -- Leavenworth

Stats: 19.35 km / 547m gain / 5 hours MT

This hike was pure pleasure,meandering through meadows filled with wild flowers.

This barn was built in 1905. The Burts family bought this ranch in 1936 from a failed orchard investor. They farmed wheat here until 2001. Then they replaned 250 acres of wheat fields with sagebrush to restore wildlife habitat.

We parked in the lower righthand corner and stayed right on the Burts Trail. From there we did the Glacier View trail to Apricot Crisp trail to 19, then back to junction 18 where we did a short return trail that overlooked the river, then to Homestead trail which led back to the parking lot.

Two-Lobe Larkspur Indian Painbrush

Salsify Marsh Vetchling

Buiscuitroot Hyacinth

Chokecherry

Oregon Grape

Lupine, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, flox

The higher we got the more flowers we saw.

Numerous bird houses hung in the trees.

This mama grouse was dive-bombing at our heads for getting too close to her babies.

Buckwheat

We hiked out to this viewpoint to see the river.

There was a bench by this lonely pine tree on a knoll.

The old barn down below.

After the hike we ate out in Leavenworth. Being mid-week, it was not busy.