Summit Lake Viewpoint–Summit Lake, 5 sights is a 5.3-mile out-and-back in Clearwater Wilderness near Upper Mill, WA. The route passes Clearwater Wilderness Beach, Summit Lake and Summit Lake before reaching Summit Lake Viewpoint at the turnaround, 2.6 miles in. It climbs 1,744 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade. It scores 95/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,771 – 5,735 ft · steepest grade: 28%5.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 47.06963, -121.84705
Nearest town Upper Mill, WA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Summit Lake Viewpoint–Summit Lake, 5 sights
5.3 mi · ▲ 1,744 ft · 2 hr 38 min
Elevation 4,772–5,734 ft
Out & Back · Clearwater Wilderness
Trailhead: 47.06963, -121.84705
Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 57°F / low 37° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 5:50 AM · sunset 8:39 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Clearwater Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Clearwater to Summit Lake, heading SE.
- 1.7 miSharp right onto Summit Lake Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Clearwater Wilderness Beach.
- 50 ftPass Summit Lake.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Summit Lake.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miReach Summit Lake Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 150 ftSharp right, heading N.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Clearwater to Summit Lake, heading NE.
- 1.7 miTurn left onto Clearwater Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
- 500 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
30% dirt70% unspecified
Weather
FogTemperature 57°F37°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity78%
Rained 0.1″ 2 days ago
Hourly temperature
60°35°
Sunrise 5:50 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:39 PM
Tue
66°51°
Wed
73°55°
Thu
74°52°
Fri
67°46°
Sat
65°44°
Sun
67°43°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.7 mi in (~21 min). Leave by 7:58 PM for the 8:39 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:12 PM — 2 min before dark.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Clearwater Trail Loop 3.8 mi · ▲ 686 ft
- Summit Lake–Clearwater Wilderness Beach, 3 beaches 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,512 ft
- Summit Lake–Summit Lake Viewpoint, 4 beaches 5 mi · ▲ 1,681 ft
- Clearwater Trail 15.6 mi · ▲ 5,574 ft
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