Spider Meadow Trail

Backpacking the Spider Gap to Buck Creek Pass Loop in the Glacier Peak Wilderness is no easy task, but yields some of the most spectacular views found in Washington. Plan for at least four days in order to stay fresh and to allow for extra time to soak in the Cascadian beauty that assaults your senses every step of the way. Day 1 (11.2 miles): Beginning at the trailhead at the end of Phelps ...

Start out on the Phelps Creek Trail and hike in 6.5 miles to reach the head of Spider Meadows. Continue on up the trail to the the base of the Spider Snowfield around 6200 feet for even better views of the entire Phelps Basin. Follow the trail up the snowfield for .5 miles to the top of Spider Gap at 7100 feet where you'll catch your first views of Lyman Lakes. Drop down alongside the Lyman Gla...

Drive USFS Road 62 for 23 miles from Lake Wenatchee (turn left at Cole's Corner off of Highway 2 towards Lake Wenatchee). Turn right on USFS Road 6211 for ~2.5 miles to the end at the Phelps Creek Trailhead. Begin to hike the Phelps Creek Trail but in 1/4-1/2 a mile, take a right on the Carne Mountain trail, #1508. Ascend the at times steep Carne Mountain trail to a subalpine basin and spend s...

Begin your adventure at the Phelps Creek Trailhead, roughly a 4 hour drive from Seattle. Make sure your car has good clearance and traction because the last section of the forest service road gets a little rough.  Only a few minutes after starting down the trail, you will reach a split that heads up to your right (labeled for Carne Mountain, trail #1508). This trail is well-maintained and I wo...

The Approach Starting at the Trinity trailhead you'll hike the Buck Creek Trail towards Buck Creek Pass. The trail is fairly obvious once the snows have melted but if you are going early season (June-early July) you will definitely want to bring a GPS.  The trail works it's way up the valley along Buck Creek.  You will pass through a burn zone from the Buck Creek fire (2016) and a impressively ...

Glacier-fed Lake Wenatchee is only 2 hours east of Seattle, nestled in the Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest. The park is fully equipped with all the amenities you'd expect - camping spots, a sand/rock beach, picnic tables, bathrooms and a boat launch.Pack up your boats at the south campground, where you can use the dock as the boat launch (or the beach, if you're prepared to get your feet we...