The views on this hike warrant a five star review for sure! Loads of waterfalls, mountains, and of…read morecourse trees and flowers to see on this route up to Rachel Lake. The problem? Not a clear trail at all. My hiking group and I found ourselves asking, "Is this trail?", numerous times on this extremely strenuous seemingly endless uphill trek to the lake. Now, granted, some of our group was in better shape than others and managed the physicality of the trail better than others but still we all agreed it was extremely hard. First you drive up a gravel road approximately 6 miles to get to the parking lot. One bathroom is available there which wasn't too gross. Once you enter the trail it starts heading up. And up and up and up. It is seemingly endless. I believe it about 4 plus miles up. The trail starts out fairly marked and easy to follow. Then it doesn't. Unfortunately I got separated from my group for a good portion of this hike due to my attempt to stay with the "faster" ladies, lol. I just kept going up. Thank goodness a few other people passed me to let me know I was on the right track. No trail at all really for a good portion and I merely followed a dry creek trail. Extremely rocky and loads of bushwhacking. I had to stop every five to ten feet to catch my breath. The steepness reminded me of a hike in Big Sur called Garrapata which after I competed that one I said I would never do again, lol. Now to the good parts of the hike. Gorgeous scenery beyond words! Loads of amazing waterfalls as you are following a creek flowing from a lake high above. The lake was outstandingly beautiful. I took a quick dip in the icy water at the top! Quickly it changed my outlook on the hike and cooled me off. Will I do it again? Maybe, but next time. I will bring more snacks for the hike that give me energy. I will start out slower and take more frequent deliberate breaks. And please please don't forget your mosquito repellent! Also, long pants as a large portion of this hike you go through tall grasses and overgrowth. I consider myself an experienced hiker when I was in CA, but here in WA, I am a beginner for sure. Stay hydrated and go at your own pace. This is worth it at least once. SYOY and No FOMO for me here! Lol.

Lake Rachel is a great hike if you're looking for a beautiful end view and lots of fun sights along…read morethe way. Unfortunately, the trail is not marked well and we went off path and up towards different falls a couple times but going off trail was worth it for the extra couple views we saw! Be prepared to get your feet wet and be careful climbing over the slippery rocks.

Gorgeous place! We were able to go snowshoeing for free! Plenty of parking on the side of the road…read more Highly recommend bringing hiking poles since it's super icy this season!

Definitely arrive early because the lot with fill up fast! A NW Forest pass is required for…read moreparking. This trail is very rocky so make sure to have good hiking shoes and trekking poles. There was also lots of bugs on this trail so definitely pack bug spray as well. The view is beautiful, a little crowded but I came around 7:30am so it wasn't too bad.

Really great staff and friendly especially during virus. They closed the bathroom due to kids…read moretrashing it, but allowed me, pregnant at the time, to use a private bathroom as needed. We were renting a house close by for a few days. So nice to have this available during our stay.

My family and I (especially my younger siblings) frequented this activity center during our mini…read moregetaway in Roslyn. The place looks really nice and is clean. The mountains and trees all around make a beautiful backdrop. It can get a little crowded on the weekend, but we stayed until Tuesday so we got to enjoy the place while there was little people. We played a lot of volleyball & basketball and spent a lot of time by the little gazebo/hut place and in the pool. I like the location because it was right across from where we stayed (the wilderness lodge - really nice cabin rental!) and close to the lake and the town. Great place to go with the family and friends!

very nice and beautiful. Last year 2024 water was very dry, but still found a spot across the way…read moreto enjoy the water with families.

My coworkers have been raving about this campground for years and I was never able to snag a…read morereservation. Even when we went camping at Lake Easton State Park nearby, we tried to come visit the common area at the beach but every time we tried, this place was full and we could not even enter the campground. Lake Kachess has always been an unobtainable dream for us for years, partly because of my lack of planning as online reservation system is available for this site, although I am telling my kids that it is only because this place is so popular that we had not been able to check it out. So, for the past two years, we had been coming to Lake Kachess, getting rejected at the front gate, and still parking near the beach about 0.5 miles before reaching the front gate. We would go stand up paddle-boarding for a couple of hours and we would go to Lake Easton State Park to go to the bathroom and finish our day there. We loved paddle boarding in Lake Kachess so much that I promised my kids we will camp here someday. In this past summer in 2022, I was finally able to snag a reservation for 2 nights. Our camping spot was close to the non-motorized boat launch area. The campsite was spacious, clean, and well-maintained. It was also close to the vault toilets. We have traditionally and intentionally been camping at state parks for their toilet and shower facilities. However, we were aware that Lake Kachess campground was not part of the state park system and does not have nice toilets and showers. So, our expectation of the toilet facilities was expectedly low. Our challenge, however, was dealing with the waste management truck sucking or removing the waste from the vault toilets every morning around 0700. It was very loud and the resulting aroma seemed to have filled the entire Washington state. It was pretty awful but when my kids and I talked about it, we accepted it as part of this camping experience and being in the wilderness. We came here mostly for stand up paddle boarding so with every chance we got, we headed to the beach. We used the non-motorized boat launch area and it was wonderful. In the morning when there are no boats around in the lake, the water was crystal clear and we could see a lot of fish. It was absolutely beautiful. The green trees everywhere contrast really well with the blue sky and everything was serene and breathtaking. The water was cold but we still went into the water to escape the summer heat. It was refreshing and we felt like we became part of the beautiful scenery. Absolutely loved paddle boarding here.

As a recreational lake, Lake Easton is great if you have water equipment or just want to go…read moreswimming. The water is a blue-ish green color and clear near the edges. The main parking lot was full, but it was actually better to park in the other lot because we were able to go to less crowded areas along the lake. I wish they made it easier to access the lake after the bridge. It's steep and rocky/sandy.

Great campsite along the John Wayne bike trail. Two biker/hiker spots. First come first served. We…read moreenjoyed our stay.

If you're planing to go camping, this is a beautiful lake to go to and there's a campground close…read moreby. First word that came to mind when I initially saw it was "pristine". It's a picture perfect lake. If you go early in the morning, the water is calm and it's so quiet. It's perfect fishing weather and trout is super easy to catch here. It's a two pole limit per person. There's quite a bit of activity in the afternoon during the summer of kayaking, tubing, rowing, etc. but the lake is large where it does not get crowded. No motorized boats allowed. The water is clear and a beautiful blue color. Be careful since it can get deep quick. The view is like no other with other mountains and trees surrounding it. Cooper Lake is small on the map, so not that many people go to it from what I have read. Cle Elm river and Kachess lake are nearby which is visited more.

My family came here for my husband's birthday request, a snow hike! This must be our fourth time…read morecoming here and every time we hike it's all worth it! You get to experience the fresh snow, see the frozen lake and be impressed with the Mountain View! Great family venture, easy hike even for small children and elderly during summer time. It can be busy and crowded too!

Area is permanently closed as of May 2025. I had the opportunity to enjoy it the last month before…read moreit was closed in April. The pond is going to be permanently closed to help restore the bully trout population. Beautiful alpine blue waters surrounded by mountains. A great place for a picnic. The trail is not well kept and has some holes in some of the wooden walkways. Watch your step! Also spots can be quite slick where it has melted and frozen over again. The access road is also slick and most folks parked on the main road and walked the extra 0.6 miles to get to the trailhead.

Indeed very enchanting place. We did backpacking 3 nights 4…read moredays to experience the core zone as much as possible including off-trail scrambles for Little Annapurna and Enchantment Peak. We went Colchuck to Viviane and traced back since not much to see beyond Viviane. Really nice backpacking. My detailed mileage etc is below blog post. https://himebackpacker.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-enchantments-washington.html

I've done this a couple of times so I'll give you the different perspectives…read more The first time I did it as a one-day hike because I did not have a permit. The second time I did it as a three night hike because it was after October 15th and I still didn't have a permit. Since that time, the permit season has been extended to October 30th. Either way, I suggest that hiking in the fall is the prettiest time due to the larch trees colors. Both times we started at the Stuart Lake trailhead (recommended due to reduced overall elevation gain) and ended at the Snow Lake trailhead. Now at the risk of offending someone I will say that hiking through the Enchantments in one day is like watching a porn movie on fast forward. You miss most of the scenery. My suggestion is to either get a permit, or hike outside of season, preferably in the fall, but stay at least two nights. Given that the hike up Aasgard Pass has an elevation gain of 1900 feet in about a mile, I can attest that it can be quite dangerous when raining. On the East side there will be mud & rock slides and in our case we had to duck out of the way of several large, (18 or so inch diameter) Rocks that came bouncing down the boulders with unpredictable direction at a very high rate of speed. Risks early in the season are snow slides and avalanches, so be very aware of the conditions when you are there. All that said, anyone who does not give this a five and tell you that it's absolutely one of the most beautiful hikes you'll ever take on must know something I don't, and I've hiked the Himalayas. Remember that goats are dangerous. Pee on rocks, not soil because the goats will dig it up for the salt. Try not to let a goat see you peeing or it will run towards you. Try fishing in the lakes; the trout are great for dinner up there. You should also know that when coming down toward the Snow Lake trailhead there are a large number of switchbacks and when you see the cars just down the hill, it will likely be another hour before you get there, and if you did it as a day hike, your feet may not be happy when you finally arrive. If you are a hiker, you must find a way to get this one done before you hang up your boots.

Absolutely gorgeous 7.5 mile hike round trip. Take a SUV or all wheel drive car. The road to the…read moretrailhead is rough! The hike is stunning and varies in terrain from ponds, meadows, and flowers and views! Elevation gain is approximately 1000 ft I believe. Enough changes to make it change from very hard to easy. The lake is gorgeous too and you can swim in it if you don't mind being cold. Bring snacks, and water to stay and have a snack. No bugs that I could tell but i covered myself in bug spray. Very rock parts on the trail and smooth parts. Also switch backs when it gets steep. Excellent time in the mountains! Happy travels and SYOY.

Mirror Lake was quite serene, and on this occasion, we passed very few folks on the trail…read more The path to the trailhead is a rather long (4 miles) gravel road with lots of potholes. Parking at the lower trailhead was, unfortunately, rather haphazardly. If you have a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, there is another parking area up the path. It is a rather short trail with a nice payoff. If you walk a bit past the lake, you'll see the waterfall. There was plenty of bear grass and wildflowers on the south side past the waterfall. While you can hike a loop to the parking area by going past the waterfall into the valley area, it is mostly a rocky path with much less shade cover. It's just not as appealing as the way up. One star removed because of the long pot hole filled gravel road to the trailhead for a rather short trail.

This is a fantastic park. We went for a quick morning walk. It was more than we expected. Beautiful…read moreviews of the river and short but lovely trails through the woods. My bird app identified about a dozen bird species within a minute. A very special place.

Lots of activities Frisbee course water boarding. Kayaking, sunbathing, beside river nature walk,…read morepicnicking, swimming, rope swing (to be used at own risk and responsibly.). Connected with an under freeway bridge greenway walk to another park where you can take your dog besides having access to other side of lakes and nature trail.