[SwitchbackFisher]

Made A Trek to Cedar lakes in Yakima County for some fishing. The route I chose started on the bumping lake trailhead, and follows the trail for approximately 2 miles to the second creek crossing which is cedar creek. To Get to Cedar lakes, Cross the creek and begin following it up the ridge. When following the creek try and keep it on your right within auditory range but dont follow it to closely because it will put you into a canyon that will likely be impassible. You may occasionally find a trail going up which will has been used by horsemen apparently seeing horsey signs along the way. There are a combination of pink yellow and orange blazes along the trail, however as long as you follow the creek you cant really get lost so I feel it was pointless to put them up. There are parts where it can be quite the bushwack, but overall it is very easy. The creek will take you to Lower Cedar lake which is shallow and small but has excellent fishing for cuts from 7-12 inches about. The area around lower Cedar is boggy so be prepared for wet feet Once Done at the lower lake find the inlet creeks, and follow Cedar creek to the upper lake. This stretch you will want to keep the creek on your left in audible range again. Once you have almost made it up to the lake, you have a choice to make, follow the unofficial trail far from the creek for a more gentle climb into the lake, or push straight up the steep grade. I chose to go straight up much quicker than adding all that extra distance, but on the way down i took the longer route. The upper lake is not as good fishing, but had no problems catching several cutts from 10-12 inches. This could be the first night to several awesome loops because it appeared there was another trail from the upper ridge going to the American ridge trail, and even if there is not, it would be easy to gain the ridge to the trail. From there options seem nearly endless. On another interesting Note I found 5 of the foil type balloons, all in different locations. I of course packed out, but it seems strange they all ended up in same area, and some were b days, its a girl, and fathers day balloons? Very odd.

Upper Cedar Lke

Lower Cedar Lake

Beautiful Cutt from Lower Cedar

I believe this is Yellow Coral mushrooms

If you left this spoon and a ton of foil twine and electrical tape I will gladly ship it to you for cost plus $100 for labor of doing it

Huge Mushroom

Typical Blazing found periodically on the trail

In the Background you can see that steep climb into the upper lake, about 200 vertical feet of this.

I cannot verify but from upper cedar this appears to be where the trail to American ridge based on the direction it started going.

[General ****]

SwitchbackFisher A very nice report... thank you for sharing.

[Mountainfisherman]

Thanks for the interesting report. The Cedars are the only lakes in Region 3 that I’ve never visited. Are there any campsites at Upper Cedar?

[SwitchbackFisher]

Yes there is one that looks to get fairly heavy use. Probably mostly people dropping down from American Ridge.

[Mountainfisherman]

Thanks!