Summit Lake Viewpoint–Summit Lake, 5 lakes is a 5.3-mile out-and-back in Clearwater Wilderness near Upper Fairfax, WA. The route passes Twin Lake, Clearwater Wilderness Beach and Summit Lake before reaching Summit Lake Viewpoint at the turnaround, 2.6 miles in. It climbs 1,496 ft, with sections as steep as 31% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,383 – 5,735 ft · steepest grade: 31%5.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Summit Lake Trailhead 47.03136, -121.82682
Nearest town Upper Fairfax, WA · Official trailhead info (fs.usda.gov)
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Summit Lake Viewpoint–Summit Lake, 5 lakes
5.3 mi · ▲ 1,496 ft · 2 hr 31 min
Elevation 4,383–5,734 ft
Out & Back · Clearwater Wilderness
Trailhead: Summit Lake Trailhead · 47.03136, -121.82682
Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 61°F / low 39° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 5:50 AM · sunset 8:39 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Summit Lake Trail, heading SE.
- 0.9 miPass Twin Lake.
- 1.4 miPass Clearwater Wilderness Beach.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 250 ftPass Summit Lake.
- 50 ftBear right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.4 miReach Summit Lake Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 2.2 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
85% dirt15% unspecified
Weather
FogTemperature 61°F39°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity71%
Rained 0.1″ 2 days ago
Hourly temperature
65°35°
Sunrise 5:50 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:39 PM
Tue
71°51°
Wed
75°57°
Thu
75°54°
Fri
68°48°
Sat
66°45°
Sun
68°45°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.1 mi in (~82 min). Leave by 6:57 PM for the 8:39 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:43 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Summit Lake Trailhead Trailhead
- Summit Lake–Clearwater Wilderness Beach, 4 lakes 4.8 mi · ▲ 1,184 ft
- Bearhead Mountain–Twin Lake, 3 summits 5.6 mi · ▲ 1,669 ft
- Summit Lake–Clearwater Wilderness Beach, 5 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 2,701 ft
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