Lower Crystal Lake–Upper Crystal Lake, 5 sights is a 12.4-mile out-and-back near Snoquera, WA. The route passes Bear Gap and Upper Crystal Lake before reaching Lower Crystal Lake at the turnaround, 6.1 miles in. It climbs 3,021 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,308 – 6,352 ft · steepest grade: 23%12.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 46.93862, -121.47556
Nearest town Snoquera, WA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lower Crystal Lake–Upper Crystal Lake, 5 sights
12.4 mi · ▲ 3,021 ft · 5 hr 39 min
Elevation 4,309–6,354 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 46.93862, -121.47556
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 63°F / low 40° · precip 1% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 5:49 AM · sunset 8:37 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 450 ftSharp right onto Gold Hill Road East, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Bullion Basin Trail, heading E.
- 400 ftSharp right onto Silver Creek Trail, heading S.
- 2 miPass Bear Gap.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 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.
- 1.5 miBear left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SE.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Silver Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 2 miSharp left onto Bullion Basin Trail, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Gold Hill Road East, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.3 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
98% dirt2% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 63°F40°
Precip1%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity74%
Hourly temperature
65°40°
Sunrise 5:49 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:37 PM
Tue
73°53°
Wed
80°58°
Thu
85°56°
Fri
76°51°
Sat
73°48°
Sun
74°47°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.2 mi in (~160 min). Leave by 5:37 PM for the 8:37 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Henskin Lake Trail via Silver Creek Trail 4.1 mi · ▲ 1,169 ft
- Kelley's Gap Road 4.1 mi · ▲ 1,543 ft
- Henskin Lake via Crystal Mountain Trail 4.4 mi · ▲ 1,233 ft
- Norse Peak–Scout Pass, 4 sights 7.5 mi · ▲ 2,535 ft
- Basin Lake–Scout Pass, 3 saddles 8.8 mi · ▲ 2,899 ft
- Scout Pass–Bullion Basin Trail, 4 sights 8.9 mi · ▲ 2,954 ft
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Hikes near Snoquera, Washington