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    Tipsoo Lake

    4.4 (9 reviews)

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    Teresa M.

    Helllo 2019 wild flower season!! Always a beautiful place to go any time of year (well, when it's not covered in snow :-p), but it's lovely to have a splash of colour. This is an easy trail right off of 410. Pretty small parking lot, lookout point, and some parallel street parking further up. The trail that goes directly around the lake is about 1 mile and very flat - perfect for grandma! In fact, mine used to paint here while grandpa did some hiking. This area, once you've enjoyed the little trip around the lake, meets up with both the PCT and Naches Peak Loop. If you go across the highway you'll find Little Tipsoo Lake. This is somewhere people definitely don't come over to much. What limited trail that's there is overgrowing nicely - which makes this place a great "sit and think" place. PS - if you're in this area for the Naches Peak Loop -- walk clockwise for the best views!!

    Panoramic view
    Aileen C.

    My brother & I stopped by here last May 2019. Beautiful lake and surrounding areas. It was pretty chilly with snow still present. This was our first visit to Mt Rainier. We had a wonderful time.

    1st June
    Aleksandr F.

    Good and easy to find place. Pretty much parking spots. There are 2 toilets on the parking area. But one of them has broken door... We've been here 1st June and there are lot of melted snow. Lake also was covered by ice and snow in some places. We've made a hike around the lake and drove to the Yakima. We've spent great day there!

    Natalie S.

    Beautiful stop while riding through to eastern Washington. Along hi-way 410, you can see it fr the Parking spot just before you pass into the Wenatchee forest fr Mount Rainer.

    Lake
    Kaleigh E.

    An easy hike around the lake. Lots of wildflowers in bloom. Nearby parking and other trail access is close by. No swimming or fishing at this lake but it is a nice and clear. A great view of all the surrounding mountains.

    Naches Peak Trail

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    Rachel Lake Trailhead - Flowers

    Rachel Lake Trailhead

    3.6(11 reviews)
    51.1 km

    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.

    Photos
    Rachel Lake Trailhead - One of the many gorgeous views.

    One of the many gorgeous views.

    Rachel Lake Trailhead - The trail

    The trail

    Rachel Lake Trailhead - Here.

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    Here.

    Shoe Lake Hike Via Pacific Crest Trail - Old Snowy

    Shoe Lake Hike Via Pacific Crest Trail

    5.0(1 review)
    36.4 km

    Had been stalking the White Pass/Shoe Lake area for windows of good weather the last month or two…read more(every weekend, it would conveniently be rainy/snowy up there!). Recently I saw the forecast open up for some sunny conditions---during the work week. I decided to make the trip---isn't that what vacation days are for?? I drove up to White Pass, from the east side, with clear blue skies the entire way. I parked on the highway (across from the Kracker Barrel at the base of the White Pass slopes). I slapped on my 35lb pack, grabbed my dogs, and we scrambled up the slopes. I like going this route (vs. starting at the Trailhead) because there are nice views and it cuts down on distance. It's a bear of a workout though! Once on the PCT, it's a nice, fairly flat, and scenic hike---y'know, the usual. Near the new ski run up on top, I heard/saw workers cutting/burning trees to clear way for the ski run (sometimes I wish I could make them turn the ski lift ON, so I could be taken all the way up to the Miriam Lake Basin....but what fun would that be?? I had seen evidence of recent snow every here and there (1-4" patches of snow). Once at the Miriam Lake Basin/Hogback Ridge, I made my way to Shoe Lake. There's one stretch of this big open piece of trail where there was quite a bit of hard icy snow. Camped above the beautiful Shoe Lake. I heard an elk bugling at around 7pm---it must have been south down the hill. Such a cool sound to hear! But it was also scary, because within seconds I also heard something very big plodding around nearby--definitely an elk. It was so close I could hear it breathing. A wee bit scary! (and cool) Oh, I did spy some huckleberries along the way, amazingly enough---but they weren't as good as the ones I picked 3weeks ago. Such a late season! The night yielded beautiful views of the Milky Way, constellations, Jupiter, satellites, and the like. The hike back was nice for most of the way. I saw a herd of mountain goats in the Miriam Lake Basin. The snow/ice mentioned earlier was pretty scary in the morning. The first clouds of the trip rolled in around 1pm...but I was pretty much done. While unloading at my car, an employee from the Kracker Barrel rode his bike to me. He was wondering where I was and if I was ok. Apparently, I forgot to roll my driver's side window up---so it was open for 24hrs!! Everything was fine, but I sure felt dumb. Anyway, probably my last backpacking trip of 2011. A great way to end the season!

    Photos
    Shoe Lake Hike Via Pacific Crest Trail - Reflection

    Reflection

    Shoe Lake Hike Via Pacific Crest Trail - From Nearby Peak

    From Nearby Peak

    Shoe Lake Hike Via Pacific Crest Trail - At Dusk

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    At Dusk

    Sand Ridge Trail - Sand Up On The Ridge

    Sand Ridge Trail

    4.0(2 reviews)
    38.1 km

    I know my blood is surely super-scrumptious, but the mosquitoes at White Pass…read more(http://www.yelp.com/biz/shoe-lake-hike-via-pacific-crest-trail-naches) wear DEET chemical suits and had at my friend & I with abandon. Because of this, we amscrayed down the road from the Pass (to get away from the skeeter-infested lakes)--we didn't want to get a gory goose egg hikewise. :::::::::: ENTER Sand Ridge Trail :::::::::: We eye-spied this trailhead wile driving up to White Pass. It's a bit nondescript and easily ignorable while driving past it, but it turned out to be a decent gem. The trailhead has a fairly large area with a couple of large areas for parking. There's a portapotty thingie. There's a trailhead board with info about the trail (wish it had a topo map). You need a Wilderness Pass to use the trail (or you could leave $5 in the box). ** Off we went ** The trail quickly slaps you up-side the head with elevation. Now I'm a berry-feasting-fiend, so I was on the prowl. After the first switchback I spotted a some tiny mountain strawberries. They were a tad larger than peas, but they pack some potent punch. So, I made like a bear for a few moments and gorged (sorta like the skeeters from the Pass) ;) Then off we went. The weather was so-so on this summer day, but it was actually perfect hiking weather. It wasn't super hot, and the moments of rain were refreshing. We reached the top of the ridge fairly quickly. Within a few minutes we came across three people on horseback, and made small talk. We then pressed on, and came to a fork. Being Native, I have to claim above-average tracking skills. I was able to determine that the horses came from the trail to our right (which looked to go down the other side of the ridge). We decided to take the left one and continue along the ridge. The ridge went on quite a bit and actually continued gaining in elevation. We were waiting for nice views, but we were too surrounded by pines to sport a window. The trail continues like this for a while--a bit ho-hum. But after about 2.5-3 miles we sorta hit a leveling off of the ridge. I also noticed some sandy conditions on the trail....hence the name: Sandy Ridge. Up on top we managed to find a few views. We also noticed the return of: **drumroll** mosquitoes! So, at this point, we decided to turn around. Going down was no big whoop. Although I must admit to snagging a few more strawberries again. :) *************** EPILOGUE: After getting home, scoured the topo for the area we turned around and sure enough, we happened to be near a few alpine lakes up on top. It woulda been cool to check 'em out. We'll save that for next time, later in the season, when it's cooler, and the mosquitoes are sleeping.

    My fiancé and I along with our small dog enjoyed this trail. We hiked it July 28 and literally…read moredidn't encounter a single mosquito like others have said. The Mosquitos are only a problem in the spring and early summer here I would imagine. The first mile or two of the trail was rather silt-dusty. 3 or so miles into the trail it forks and you can either stay on the trail or take shell rock trail through miss covered stands of old growth pines. There is only a 15 min stretch where you have very good views. We really enjoyed this trail and would recommend it to most. It seems steep and difficult for the first hour but the entire trail is shaded and it levels off after a few miles into a very pleasant and beautiful hike.

    Photos
    Sand Ridge Trail - Trailhead

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    Trailhead

    Ingalls Lake

    Ingalls Lake

    5.0(6 reviews)
    62.5 km

    I am in love the the Lake Ingalls hike! My friend and I arrived at the trailhead Sunday morning…read morejust before 8 a.m. and already counted 120 cars at the trailhead. We parked about 0.3 miles from the trailhead. Cars lined both sides of the narrow road, despite a sign indicating for folks to only park on one side. There were some very questionable parking jobs on edges and cliffs. There was a small line waiting for the one toilet, which was not stocked with toilet paper (don't forget to bring your own + hand sanitizer). There were a couple surprises I had after reading other trip reports. The first one was that the road up to the trailhead was not bad at all. Sure, it was a little bumpy and there were a few potholes to watch out for, but it was seriously nothing compared to other trailheads I've been on. A sedan can easily make it up to the top with no problem. The second thing I found different than the trip reports was the level of difficulty. WTA rates this hike as expert, and I thought it was nowhere near expert. It really was a nice gradual incline with some rock scrambling at the top. Plus, there's beautiful sights to see the entire way up, so it was very pleasant. The trail was packed, but once my friend and I started hiking, we slowly spaced out from the others. Everyone we encountered was super kind and courteous. The only downside we had from the people was that this is a trail that does not allow dogs, and there were several we encountered (including one off leash who ran up to my friend and was a little nippy). There was also fresh dog poop right on the trail an owner had left behind. The lake at the top wasn't too busy. There were plenty of spots to sit to grab a bite to eat and admire the view. After the initial descent from the lake where there's a lot of rock scrambling and questioning if you're still on the trail (there's multiple ways up through the rocks, so just keep going and look for cairns), it's a steady decline that's easy on the knees. I will definitely be back!

    This is about a 10 mile total hike. I'm not a very experienced hiker, so it too me a while to get…read moreup there. My boyfriend and I camped up at the top too. Up to the top, it's quite easy as in the trail and the incline should be fine if you have hiked a lot. At some point up the trail, it gets a little narrow and steep way down if you're not careful. Bless my boyfriend for carrying my camping bag too. At the top, there's a camp ground. It's near a river if you want to get water. There's also a toilet! It's a wooden box and it's a great view to take a dump at. From the campsite, it's about 1 mile to the lake at the top. There are cairn stacks along the way to reach the lake. Without following it, I'm sure you can still find it, but with it, it shows you an easy route to climb. The lake itself is very clear and very cold! I went in August and there was still some snow! There are also mountain goats! I found the best time to see them is in the morning. They come near the camp site too! I heard a baby mountain goat crying for it's mom too. It was so cool seeing them so close! You can see where they have even around since their fur gets caught on the branches.

    Photos
    Ingalls Lake
    Ingalls Lake
    Ingalls Lake

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    Tipsoo Lake - hiking - Updated May 2026

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