Larch Lakes (Entiat)

Larch Lakes sits in a remote hanging valley high above the Entiat River, reached by a long but rewarding backpack through Glacier Peak Wilderness. The trail starts flat, following the Entiat River for 3.5 miles before a junction where you choose your route: ford the river for a direct climb, or stay left past Myrtle Lake on a longer but drier path. Either way, the final push to the lakes gains elevation steeply through old forest and past a waterfall that signals you are getting close.

Two alpine lakes occupy the basin. The lower lake sits in a bowl rimmed by subalpine fir and larch. The upper lake, a half-mile farther, is larger and more open to the surrounding ridges. In October, the western larch trees turn the basin gold. The color can be intense when the light hits right, and because of the remote access, you will likely share the show with very few other people.

This is a serious undertaking as a day hike. Most people come in for two or three nights, using the lakes as a base to explore the surrounding ridgeline, Cow Creek Meadows, or the connection over to Ice Lake. Bugs can be fierce through July. Come in fall for the larches and the solitude.