Hiking Snow Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Contents
Snow Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 10.80Km (6.70 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 518m (1,700 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,345m (4,413 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 9.59%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Snow Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°26’43.8″N 121°25’24.0″W
Snow Lake Overview
Snow Lake is a glistening alpine lake set within the Alpine Lake Wilderness near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. Thanks to its relatively simple stats, proximity to Seattle, abundance of parking and rewarding views, Snow Lake is easily one of the busiest hikes in all of Washington State. Thousands of people visit the lake on a sunny summer weekend, drawing all sorts of visitors, from hikers, campers, tourists, dog walkers, trail runners, mountaineers, paddleboarders, kayakers, fishers, swimmers and everything in between. Indeed, if your idea of a hike is to escape the crowds, you might want to give this hike a miss, or avoid weekends at the very least.
It’s easy to see why Snow Lake is so popular, with its crystal clear, deep blue waters and a symphony of peaks in Bryant, Chair, Kaleetan and Roosevelt offering a beautiful backdrop. While the lake is massive, there aren’t too many spots for people to relax and enjoy it, so the crowds tend to congregate around the same few areas. If you do want to look for solitude, your best bet is to continue beyond Snow Lake and hike up to Gem Lake. This is a much smaller lake, but also a lot quieter. It’s not likely to be void of visitors as it’s quite popular with backpackers, but you will likely be able to find a quieter spot where you’re not knocking elbows with other people.
For those interested in hiking up a mountain, Wright Mountain is the obvious choice, offering a pretty straightforward ascent to the top, and worthwhile views above Snow Lake once you get there.
In terms of seasonality, the best time to visit Snow Lake would be between July and October to avoid any snow and the lake being frozen over. Any earlier and you may have to deal with some snow around, but it should be manageable in June and possibly even late May with microspikes. Winter is not a great time to visit as the trail passes over significant avalanche terrain.
Access to the trailhead is from an enormous parking lot at the Alpental Ski Area at the end of National Forest Road 9040, which is suitable for all vehicles. This parking can fill up very quickly on a weekend, but there is usually overflow parking available along the road itself. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park here.
Dogs are allowed on the hike and you should expect to pass by many of them, as people love to bring dogs here.
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Is Snow Lake worthwhile?
The worthiness of Snow Lake really depends on your hiking experience and when you time your visit. There’s no doubt this is a beautiful lake, however there are countless beautiful lakes throughout the Alpine Lakes Wilderness (and in many other places) that are nowhere near as crowded as this.
An experienced hiker will likely dislike how busy this trail is (you’ll probably be stuck behind lines of people throughout the hike if you go on a weekend), but for someone who just wants an easy hike to a scenic lake, they will enjoy it.
If you do want to avoid crowds, go midweek, or if a weekend is your only option, begin your hike at sunrise (if not earlier).
How difficult is the hike to Snow Lake?
Snow Lake is a pretty simple hike, with a consistent 430m (1,410 Ft.) climb to the high point, before dropping down to the lake. You will need to climb back up another 100m (328 Ft.) on the return to the trailhead. The average gradient below 10% puts this somewhere between an easy and moderate hike, which makes sense given how popular it is.
Some people may be a little surprised at how rugged this trail is. A lot of the hike covers rocky terrain, with jagged stones along a large amount of the trail. Inexperienced hikers might find this awkward and slow going, especially if not wearing appropriate footwear. Other than that, there is nothing technically difficult about this hike.
Snow Lake Route Information
The trailhead for Snow Lake is from the Alpental Ski Area at the end of National Forest Road 9040, which requires a Northwest Forest Pass. The road is suitable for all vehicles, and the parking lot is enormous, but fills up very quickly on a weekend, so get there early.
From the northern end of the parking lot, near the washrooms, there will be an obvious, well signposted trail leading into the forest. The trail climbs steeply through the forest for the first few hundred meters before leveling off as you traverse across the base of the steep southwestern slopes of Snoqualmie Mountain.
The groomed forest trail soon gives way to a series of talus slopes that you must cross, climbing modestly in the process. As you continue ahead, the views will begin opening up to the west, with a long ridge leading towards Chair Peak. After hiking for around 2.6km (1.6 Miles) you’ll reach a switchback in the forest. You’ll want to make sure you take the switchback and don’t continue ahead, unless you intend to do the optional side trip to Source Lake Overlook.
The trail now begins a series of switchbacks as you climb steeply. Crowds can often form here as large parties get slowed down on the steep, rocky and narrow terrain. Patience is a must, but if you do notice someone moving quicker behind you, do your best to let them ahead.
While steep, this climb is thankfully fairly short lived, and after just 150m (500 Ft.) or so of climbing, you’ll find yourself at the viewpoint overlooking Snow Lake. The remainder of the trail now descends towards the lake, again covering some rocky terrain along the way.
You’ll eventually reach an inlet leading into the lake, where there’s a trail down to the lakeshore. Most parties will head down here as it’s the first opportunity to see the lake, and it’s worth a visit to check out. You’ll see the remnants of an old cabin that used to be in the area along the way.
The better views are likely further ahead though, so hop over the rocks across the inlet and continue along the trail. After another 500m (0.3 Miles) you reach a broad, rocky bluff overlooking the lake, with jaw dropping views in every direction. There’s quite a bit of space to spread out here, but it does also get incredibly busy, so don’t expect a lot of solitude.
The trail continues ahead, wrapping around the eastern shores of the lake before reaching a junction with the Gem Lake trail. If you plan to visit Gem Lake, you’d take this, but if you only want to see Snow Lake, there’s not much else to continue on for. That being said, since most people will stop here (or earlier), it does get a lot quieter further along, but unfortunately there aren’t really any more spots to relax on the lakes shore. You may get some aerial views of the lake on the way to Gem, but for the most part the trail now hikes away from the lake.
Once you’re finished, you simply head back the way you came. If you set off early to beat the crowds, there’s no avoiding them on the way back, and you’ll need to practice patience as the trail will now be packed.
When should I hike Snow Lake?
July to October is peak season to avoid any snow along the trail. You can go earlier in June but you may need microspikes. Once the snow returns, typically in November, you’ll want to leave this for next year.
Top Tip
If you want to avoid crowds either go midweek or begin your hike as early as possible (like, 5am – 6am) on a weekend.
Gem Lake is a nice extension, and Wright Mountain is an easy climb up from Gem, offering panoramic views from the top. Not many people head up Wright, so it’s good to get away from the crowds too.
This is a very crowded hike, with lots of large parties on the trail. Faster hikers need to be patient, however slower hikers need to practice good etiquette and let the faster groups through.
While this is a very popular hike, it’s still a hike and the terrain is rugged. Proper footwear is important.
