Peshastin, Washington

The road in is passable with basically any vehicle, though there are some potholes to be avoided. Start at the Deception Pass Trailhead near the parking lot. There is a quick and easy 4.5 miles as you pass Hyas Lake, then you start climbing up to the trail junction for Tuck and Robin Lakes and th...

This is a great side trip from Backpacking to Marmot & Jade Lakes. Check out the Adventure linked above for directions on how to get as far as Jade Lake.  I would recommend 2 nights at either Marmot or Jade to allow for a full day of exploration from your camp.  From Jade what is described be...

Starting at the Hyas Lake trailhead north of Cle Elum, it's a meandering easy hike through the woods for about 5.0 miles up to Deception Pass. You gain 1100 feet through this first five miles to the junction with the PCT. From here take a left to continue on the Lake Clarice Trail towards Marmot...

Nestled in a high rocky cirque near the upper reaches of Mt Daniel, Spade and Venus Lakes are two of the most remote lakes in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. But to experience this level of pure isolation, you'll need to earn it; the shortest hike in to the lakes is 14 miles, the majority of which i...

This area is a very secluded camp area, so unless it's a holiday weekend, be prepared to be alone :) It is a very quiet lake and along the roadside there are plenty of spots to hike, camp, and fish by the lake or the Cle Elum river.So bring your day hiking gear and pole as well and head out in th...

The Owhi Campground on Cooper Lake is tucked away in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Salmon La Sac.  It sits at 2,788 feet and has views of Chikamin Peak (6960') and Lemah Mountain (7480'). The lake is quiet, very photogenic, and easily accessible.   The campground is on the north si...

This is the Section J hike of the Pacific Crest Trail between Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. It is about a 70 mile hike, and I started near Stevens Pass heading South. The PCT starts at the Stevens Pass Ski Resort off of Highway 2. The trail starts out under chairlifts and through ski runs – I chos...

Starting in the parking lot at Steven's Pass Ski Resort (roughly 4,062 feet in elevation; I recommend parking in E lot), start by walking between the two main lodges towards the ski lifts. You'll see a trail on the northwest-facing slope that switches back across the mountain - this is the PCT. O...

This 2.5 mile roundtrip hike with a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain is a great winter trip for beginners. The trail is typically well-worn, making it easy to stay on target even in some of the most difficult conditions. If you have route finding and off trail skills, you can venture ou...

Begin by driving a fairly smooth Forest Road 6700 for 2.5 miles to the Smith Brook Trailhead and park in the space on the left. Much of the signage has been taken down along the trail, so it may be helpful to bring some written directions with you. The hike begins by keeping close to the road, me...

Getting There From Seattle, drive Interstate 90 to Exit 62, Signed Kachess Lake/Stampede Pass. Turn left and head north over the interstate; you'll reach Kachess Lake Campground in five miles. Turn left where the pavements ends and drive four miles on Box Canyon Road (FS Road #4930) to the Rachel...

Getting There: From I-90 East, take exit 62. Take a left, heading over the highway. After 5.2 miles, the road veers left, passing Lake Kachess Campground. Go another 0.3 miles on the gravel road and take a right at a sign for Rachel Lake/Trail 1313. At this point, the road gets a little rough, bu...

Start off at Trail #1313 to Rachel Lake. The first 2.5 miles is a flat, slow uphill hike till you get to a river crossing. From there, the next 1.3 miles will be a 1,000 foot elevation gain to Rachel Lake. Once you arrive, this is a good spot to rest, eat some snacks, and replenish your water sup...

This hike is definitely one of our all-time favorites. The first time we did it was in August 2015 and due to the exceptionally mild winter that year, fall was already beginning to show its colors. We wanted to see it again in the springtime when everything was in bloom, so we decided to go again...

We backpacked our way to Lillian Lake and set up camp. There is a trail that lead around the lake and a trail that leads up to Rampart Lakes and Rachael Lake as well. We found a few more camps spots on Lillian Lake, then we noticed that only ONE other camp spot was being used. If you want peace ...

Driving Directions: From Seattle drive east on I-90 to exit 54 (signed "Hyak"). Turn left (north) under the freeway and right on the frontage road marked "Gold Creek." After about 0.5 mile turn left (north) on Gold Creek Road (Forest Road 4832), and in another 0.5 mile reach a junction. To the le...