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    Diablo Lake

    4.5 (15 reviews)

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    Derrick G.

    Diablo Lake is an incredible place to visit and enjoy the water and mountains. The water will be very cold unless it's an extremely hot day. If you plan to enter the water I recommend wearing water shoes or sandals, due to the lake being extremely rocky. The view of the mountains from the lake are extraordinary.

    So beautiful!
    Shayla B.

    Just stunning! I've always preferred beaches over lakes, but Diablo Lake is on another level. Maybe because it gives me literal beachy vibes. I legit took a relaxing ass nap at this lake. I got in the water too and it felt amazing. This is one of those lakes where the water is so clear that you can see everything at the bottom. Beauty. There's just no other way to put it. From street view, the deep aqua hues can be pretty entrancing. This is seriously one of the most beautiful lakes that I've ever seen. And it seems to be popular with the crowds too because there were so many people in the water. What's nice is that it isn't so crowded that you can't enjoy it. And when I say beachy vibes, I ain't lying. This lake has a sandy type of entrance to it. The same sand that I laid out in and took a nap on. It's super relaxing. There's a huge parking lot across the street and parking right in front of the campground too. However, you're gonna have to get here at the butt crack of dawn to snag a space in the lot. I was able to find a parking spot on the side of the road, about a quarter mile from the campground entrance. If you have time, I'd suggest hiking the Thunder Knob trail which begins at the campground across from the lake. At the top, you'll have some incredible views of this gorgeous lake from down below. And then afterward, you can just chill and have lunch at the lake. Well... that's what I ended up doing and it was wonderful. I understand why this is one of the most popular places within North Cascades National Park! It's just so damn relaxing and gorgeous. I would LOVE to camp here one day! Easy access to this beautiful beachy-like lake?! I mean... why NOT?! Oh yeah, and bring your doggies and babies along. They'll love this lake too. Super clean and relaxing. A must visit when in the North Cascades.

    The color of this lake is so pretty!
    Dawn G.

    I was really excited to see the beautiful shade of green that can only be found at a glacier lake. But honestly, I was pretty disappointed on this visit. We chose to take the Thunder Knob trail to a lake Diablo viewpoint. The trail is less than 4 miles round trip and doesn't have much elevation gain so it can definitely be considered an easy hike. Unfortunately, there isn't much to see. The trees were really sparse and the entire trail was really dry. It looked like there had been some large forest fires previously. For me, a good hike is more than just the view at the end, it's about the beauty seen on the trail itself. There just wasn't anything much to look at and the view at the end was just okay. Yes, the lake is a beautiful shade of green but I could see that from the photos online. And when we went down to the lake itself, it was full of kids and campers, which took away any serenity that may have been. It's also right next to a busy road. That combined with all of the car break-in stories I've read about in the area and the lack of cell phone coverage makes this my least fun hike yet.

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    Review Highlights - Diablo Lake

    This water is unlike anything I have ever seen before - so green and clear and so unique to North Cascades.

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    Newhalem Campground - Ladder Creek Falls

    Newhalem Campground

    4.6(5 reviews)
    11.1 km

    I camped at Newhalem Campground in North Cascades National Park two weekends ago (sometime in…read moremid-July) for a quick overnight stay (a Thursday to Friday). I initially booked a walk-in site since I was not up to speed on planning this time, meaning I would've had to park and then carry my gear to the site which was very not ideal for my short stay. Thankfully, I kept checking recreation.gov and was able to grab a more convenient drive-up site!! We arrived in the late afternoon on Thursday, checked out our campsite, set up the tent, and ventured over to the main Visitor Center which was a short drive or walk away. After dinner and a short evening hike, we returned to the site and hopped in the tent. While there was a fire pit in the campsite, there was a fire ban in place during our stay so no campfire for us. Boo hoo. I did, however, make full use of the picnic table in the morning which was helpful in packing up and of course used the bear box overnight for my scented items. We packed up and were out by sunrise to get an early start on our hike (Maple Pass Loop - highly recommend!) Overall, Newhalem Campground was clean and the sites were well marked, spacious (enough room for one tent and a vehicle which was what I needed, and surprisingly quiet, even during the peak summer season. While it's not the most remote or rugged campground in the park (not even close), it's a convenient basecamp especially if you're planning to hit the nearby trails or stop by the visitor center. If you can grab a site, go for it!

    We had a great time staying at the Newhalem Campground! The campground is beautiful and quiet with…read moretons of space. We stayed in walk-in sites in loop A and it felt like we were the only ones there. Each site has a tent pad, picnic table, and fire ring. The bathrooms are large and clean. The campground connects to many hiking trails, including one that leads to the visitor center. You can stop by the river too! One note- the nearby dam has a siren that will go off if they turn on the water overflow. It went off at 10:30pm and scared us! But it just warns people along the river that the water level might raise suddenly.

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    Newhalem Campground - Rock Shelter Trail

    Rock Shelter Trail

    Newhalem Campground - Campground

    Campground

    Newhalem Campground - Campground facilities.

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    Campground facilities.

    Diablo Lake - lakes - Updated May 2026

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