Lyman Lakes

Getting to Lyman Lakes is half the adventure. You board the Lady of the Lake ferry in Chelan, ride 3 hours to Lucerne, then catch the Holden Village shuttle up a series of steep switchbacks to what was once a copper mining town. From there, the trail heads into the Glacier Peak Wilderness on foot.

The first 8 km to Hart Lake pass through uniform forest. Bugs can be brutal in July. Hart Lake has good campsites on its western shore and makes a natural first-night stop. Beyond Hart, the valley opens with waterfalls and views before the trail switchbacks up brushy, dusty slopes to Lower Lyman Lake, sitting emerald green at the base of the headwall. Campsites on the western shore look straight across the water to the surrounding peaks.

Upper Lyman Lakes sit higher still, icy and blue beneath Chiwawa Mountain and the remnant Lyman Glacier, with Spider Gap visible above. Strong scramblers cross Spider Gap to connect with Spider Meadows on the other side. From Lower Lyman, a 2.4 km side trip to Cloudy Pass leads through wildflower meadows with views of Sitting Bull Mountain, Needle Peak, and Glacier Peak from a grassy knoll. Plan for 3 to 5 days to do this trip justice.

Note: As of late 2025, Holden Village is closed due to mudslides on FR 8301, with reopening expected no earlier than May 2026. Check current access before planning your trip.