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Buckhorn Wilderness

Windy Lake–Mount Townsend Trail #839, 5 sights

14.6 mi · ▲ 4,735 ft · 7 hr 14 min

Windy Lake–Mount Townsend Trail #839, 5 sights is a 14.6-mile out-and-back in Buckhorn Wilderness near Leland, WA. The route reaches Windy Lake. It climbs 4,735 ft, with sections as steep as 32% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 92/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi2,832 – 5,653 ft · steepest grade: 32%14.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Mount Townsend Lower Trailhead 47.85821, -123.01836
Nearest town Leland, WA · Official trailhead info (fs.usda.gov)
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Windy Lake–Mount Townsend Trail #839, 5 sights

14.6 mi · ▲ 4,735 ft · 7 hr 14 min

Elevation 2,832–5,653 ft

Out & Back · Buckhorn Wilderness

Trailhead: Mount Townsend Lower Trailhead · 47.85821, -123.01836

Weather Sep 4: Light drizzle, high 56°F / low 42° · precip 14% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 6:35 AM · sunset 7:49 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Mount Townsend Trail #839, heading W.
  2. 3.4 miPass Windy Lake.
  3. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Silver Lakes Trail #842, heading W.
  4. 1.6 miSharp right onto Silver Lake Way Trail, heading SW.
  5. 1.7 miTurn left onto Old Silver Lake Way Trail, heading NW.
  6. 0.3 miReach Windy Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  7. 0.3 miTurn right onto Silver Lake Way Trail, heading E.
  8. 1.7 miSharp left onto Silver Lakes Trail #842, heading S.
  9. 1.6 miContinue straight onto Mount Townsend Trail #839, heading NE.
  10. 3.7 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/windy-lake-windy-lake-out-back-6-sights-23-km

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

Light drizzleTemperature 56°F42°
Precip14%Wind2 mphUV6Humidity80%
Rained 0.5″ 2 days ago · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
60°40°
Sunrise 6:35 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:49 PM
Sat 56°46° 24%
Sun 64°48°
Mon 62°47°
Tue 66°47°
Wed 75°55°
Thu 62°53° 24%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.2 mi in (~186 min). Leave by 4:23 PM for the 7:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:47 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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