Lower Crystal Lake–Upper Crystal Lake, 5 sights is an 11.2-mile out-and-back near Cougar Valley, WA. The route passes Bear Gap and Upper Crystal Lake before reaching Lower Crystal Lake at the turnaround, 5.6 miles in. It climbs 2,714 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 81/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,705 – 6,352 ft · steepest grade: 23%11.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Bullion Basin Trail 46.93880, -121.46808
Nearest town Cougar Valley, WA
Directions
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Lower Crystal Lake–Upper Crystal Lake, 5 sights
11.2 mi · ▲ 2,714 ft · 5 hr 5 min
Elevation 4,705–6,354 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Bullion Basin Trail · 46.93880, -121.46808
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 68°F / low 41° · precip 1% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 5:49 AM · sunset 8:37 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Bullion Basin Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Silver Creek Trail, heading S.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftPass Bear Gap.
- 2 miBear right onto Crystal Lakes Trail, heading S.
- 0.8 miPass Upper Crystal Lake.
- 0.7 miReach Lower Crystal Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.4 miBear left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Silver Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Bullion Basin Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
ClearTemperature 68°F41°
Precip1%Wind4 mphUV7Humidity53%
Hourly temperature
70°40°
Sunrise 5:49 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:37 PM
Tue
74°51°
Wed
82°58°
Thu
85°56°
Fri
76°51°
Sat
73°47°
Sun
74°47°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.7 mi in (~134 min). Leave by 6:03 PM for the 8:37 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:25 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Bullion Basin Trail Trailhead
- Bullion Basin Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 1,428 ft
- Kelley's Gap Road 5 mi · ▲ 1,863 ft
- Bear Gap–Bear Gap Trail #967, 3 sights 6.3 mi · ▲ 2,306 ft
- Northway Peak–Elizabeth Lake, 7 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 2,505 ft
- Norse Peak–Pickhandle Gap Loop, 7 sights 10.5 mi · ▲ 3,042 ft
- Goat Lake–Scout Pass, 4 sights 10.6 mi · ▲ 3,633 ft
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Hikes near Cougar Valley, Washington