Christmas Lake & Rainbow Lake via Snoqualmie Valley Trail is an 11.2-mile out-and-back in Olallie State Park near Cedar Falls, WA. The route passes Christmas Lake and Rainbow Lake. It climbs 984 ft, with sections as steep as 34% grade. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi512 – 1,066 ft · steepest grade: 34%11.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 47.43256, -121.76710
Nearest town Cedar Falls, WA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Christmas Lake & Rainbow Lake via Snoqualmie Valley Trail
11.2 mi · ▲ 984 ft · 4 hr 14 min
Elevation 512–1,067 ft
Out & Back · Olallie State Park
Trailhead: 47.43256, -121.76710
Weather Sep 5: Light rain, high 67°F / low 52° · precip 53% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:31 AM · sunset 7:43 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Connector, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto FR-5000, heading NE.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Christmas Lake.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miPass Rainbow Lake.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Snoqualmie Valley Trail, heading NW.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.6 miBear left, heading NW.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 1.2 miReach Christmas Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 400 ftBear right, heading S.
- 1.8 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miSharp left onto FR-5000, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Connector, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right onto Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading NW.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
46% gravel10% dirt1% paved43% unspecified
Weather
Light rainTemperature 67°F52°
Precip53%Wind3 mphUV5Humidity51%
Rained 0.1″ 3 days ago (0.4″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
70°50°
Sunrise 6:31 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:43 PM
Sun
71°50°
15%
Mon
61°49°
17%
Tue
73°52°
Wed
78°54°
Thu
64°52°
Fri
68°47°
30%
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Rattlesnake Lake & Cedar River Municipal Watershed Viewpoint via Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail 1.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- 100.1 via Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail 2.4 mi · ▲ 280 ft
- Cedar Butte–Rattlesnake Lake, 3 summits 3.5 mi · ▲ 956 ft
- Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail 3.6 mi · ▲ 192 ft
- Cedar Butte–Christmas Lake, 3 summits 3.6 mi · ▲ 927 ft
- Rainbow Lake via Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail 4 mi · ▲ 337 ft
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