Fern Lake

Fern Lake sits at 6,950 feet in a granite cirque at the head of the North Fork Entiat drainage, reached by a 16-mile round trip with 3,600 feet of gain. The approach splits into two distinct sections. The first 6.1 miles follow the North Fork Entiat River Trail through mostly unburned forest with about 1,300 feet of gradual climbing. Only the first mile passes through a burn zone before the trail enters cool, shaded old-growth canopy along the river.

At the Fern Lake junction, you ford or rock-hop the North Fork Entiat River and begin the real climb. The next 1.9 miles gain roughly 2,300 feet through steep, relentless switchbacks. After breaking out of the trees about a mile up, the final half-mile punches through 900 feet of open terrain flanked by granite and granodiorite spires with long views down the valley.

The lake itself occupies a high alpine basin with a sandy beach on the western shore and several flat camping areas. The combination of granite walls, clear water, and wildflower slopes around the lake makes this one of the finest backcountry destinations in the Entiat range. The access road (FR-5606) requires high clearance for the last 4 miles and has historically had issues with blowdowns blocking the road. This is a long day hike or a natural overnight.