There are several Snow Lakes in Washington State, but this is the most popular. It easily sees 1,000 people a day and more in the summer. It is busy for good reason:
it is moderately easy - any teenager in decent shape can shuffle up it;
it is less than an hour drive from Seattle/Bellevue metro area;
and it’s ridiculously gorgeous
I usually do this hike in summer, so doing it on a cool afternoon was really nice. A lot less people out and I didn’t sweat like crazy going up the switchbacks
Everything smelled like fall, a smell I’ve never been able to describe. It’s one of my favorite things, this earthy leaves and wet dirt scent that only shows up this time of year.
There were mushrooms popping off everywhere. Moss was lush and healthy. And I hit the perfect day for red Maple leaves.
Hot take - Maple is better than Larch!
I found the perfect rock to sit and eat my lunch overlooking the water
Not all adventures are epic. Some are just an hour from your front door. Enjoy the fall. Winter just started falling in the mountains and I think tomorrow (from writing this not doing this hike), I’m going to go find some snow!
