Great Lake Hikes: 5 Family Hikes to Mountain Lakes in Western Washington
Photo:
Hyas Lake. Credit: Graham Clenaghan/Flickr CC
5. Hyas Lake, Teanaway
Distance: 4 miles round trip, 100 feet in elevation gain; Northwest Forest Pass required to park
Info: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WTA’s trip reports, or call 509-852-1100
Kids will love: the shallow, sandy lake floor that makes for great wading on hot days
Description: Washington’s famed Alpine Lakes Wilderness east of Seattle boasts a whopping 700 lakes within its glacier-carved terrain, from tiny emerald tarns rumored to be frequented by leprechauns (kids, keep your eyes peeled!) to huge turquoise pools flanked by granite boulders. Hyas Lake is one of the easiest of those lakes to reach, and a smattering of established campsites around the lakeshore make it one of the most popular first-time backpacking trips for Puget Sound families.
The trail starts flat and forested from the Deception Pass trailhead in the Upper Cle Elum River Valley. Half a mile in, you’ll cross a small stream and the wilderness boundary. Keep kids motivated to move on from the patches of ripe black huckleberries along the trail in August or you’ll never make it to the lake to wash off those purple-stained fingers. Under 2 miles in is your destination: a long, shallow lake ringed with reeds and forest that reflects the looming peaks of Cathedral Rock and Mount Daniel. The trail continues all the way to the upper reaches of the lake, about 1 mile more. Follow it to reach the best picnic and lake access spots, which get better as you hike on.
Directions: Take I-90 east over Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum/Roslyn, exit 80. Proceed on Highway 903 north for about 7.6 miles, where it becomes the Salmon La Sac Road; you’ll continue for another 10.4 miles. Near the Salmon La Sac Campground, veer northeast onto FR 4330 (also called the Cle Elum Valley Road) and from there you’ll drive about 11 miles of unpaved road to the trailhead.
More great hikes for Puget Sound–area families: |
Editor’s notes: Image credit Graham Clenaghan/Flickr CC. This article was originally published several years ago and updated most recently for 2023.
