Summit Lake–Clearwater Wilderness Beach, 4 lakes is a 4.8-mile out-and-back in Clearwater Wilderness near Upper Fairfax, WA. The route passes Twin Lake and Clearwater Wilderness Beach before reaching Summit Lake at the turnaround, 2.3 miles in. It climbs 1,184 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,383 – 5,456 ft · steepest grade: 16%5.0 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–Clearwater Wilderness Beach, 4 lakes
4.8 mi · ▲ 1,184 ft · 2 hr 12 min
Elevation 4,383–5,456 ft
Out & Back · Clearwater Wilderness
Trailhead: Summit Lake Trailhead · 47.03136, -121.82682
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:52 AM · sunset 7:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Summit Lake Trail, heading SE.
- 0.9 miPass Twin Lake.
- 1.4 miPass Clearwater Wilderness Beach.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftReach Summit Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 2.4 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
99% dirt1% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:52 AMSunset 7:11 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.9 mi in (~77 min). Leave by 5:34 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:13 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, 5 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 2,701 ft
- Bearhead Mountain–Twin Lake, 3 summits 5.6 mi · ▲ 1,669 ft
- Summit Lake Viewpoint–Summit Lake, 5 lakes 5.3 mi · ▲ 1,496 ft
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Hikes near Upper Fairfax, Washington