Northway Peak–Elizabeth Lake, 7 sights is a 9.5-mile out-and-back near Cougar Valley, WA. The route passes Henskin Lake and Elizabeth Lake before reaching Northway Peak at the turnaround, 4.7 miles in. It climbs 2,505 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 82/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,705 – 6,788 ft · steepest grade: 20%9.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Bullion Basin Trail 46.93880, -121.46808
Nearest town Cougar Valley, WA
Directions
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Northway Peak–Elizabeth Lake, 7 sights
9.5 mi · ▲ 2,505 ft · 4 hr 25 min
Elevation 4,705–6,787 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.
- 1.2 miSharp right onto Henskin Lake Trail, heading NW.
- 0.5 miSharp left, heading NW.
- 50 ftPass Henskin Lake.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Crystal Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.9 miPass Elizabeth Lake.
- 1.5 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Northway Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miReach Northway Peak, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miBear right onto Crystal Mountain Trail, heading S.
- 2.4 miContinue straight onto Henskin Lake Trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miSharp left onto Silver Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 1.2 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
48% dirt52% unspecified
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 4.2 mi in (~161 min). Leave by 5:36 PM for the 8:37 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:38 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
- 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
- Lower Crystal Lake–Upper Crystal Lake, 5 sights 11.2 mi · ▲ 2,714 ft
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