We love an alpine lake! There’s something so cool about sitting near beautiful water underneath the watchful eyes of the mountains and tall trees. Bonus points to the lake if there’s a beautiful hike that leads up to it! If you’re a fan too, you know there’s precious few better places to find a great alpine lake and accompanying hike than the Cascade Mountain Range, and particularly in the Washington State portion of the range.
One of our favorites to visit is Snow Lake in the Snoqualmie Pass area. This is a fantastic trail to hike and a beautiful lake to visit during the summer (during the winter it is probably not as accessible or safe due to the snow conditions). If you’re planning on going on the weekend, go early! This one has a parking lot that fills pretty quickly on the weekends. During the week it will be a little less busy, but it is a popular trail so you can expect to see people unless you are a liiiiiittle crazy like us and you have no problem showing up to the trailhead before 6:00 AM. If you’re coming from Seattle, the drive is only about an hour - this is why this area of the country is so amazing! You’re only a short drive from some of the most picturesque scenery you can find.
We did an instagram reel right at the edge of the lake, so if you want a preview of what you’ll see, check it out here.
The Snow Lake Trail is an out and back, 7 mile long trail where you’ll gain about 1700 feet in elevation. Dogs are allowed, but must remain on-leash (though who would fault you for letting your four-legged buddy swim in this beautiful lake… I know we did!). It’s a truly beautiful spot, so we recommend packing a nice picnic lunch or some snacks, and build in time to take a break near the lake and take in all the lovely scenery.
Check below for links to the trail on AllTrails and on the WTA (Washington Trails Association), and be sure to visit the blog for info about other trails!