Waptus Lake
With easy trailhead access and minimal elevation to tackle, this classic hike has been popular with backpackers and horse campers for decades.
Total Distance: 16.9 miles
Total Ascent: 1200ft (900ft in; 300ft out)
Highest Point: 3100ft
Total Ascent: 1200ft (900ft in; 300ft out)
Highest Point: 3100ft
To get there, take I-90 out over Snoqualmie Pass to Exit 80. Head left over the freeway following Bullfrog Road to SR 903. Follow 903 16.6 miles through Roslyn and along Cle Elum Lake to an intersection just beyond the Salmon La Sac guard station. Veer left across the bridge on FR 4316 toward the Salmon La Sac Campground. Continue past the campground, keeping right on FR 4616-111 to the end of the road for the Salmon La Sac Trailhead. Privy available. View Google Directions >>
The hike begins by first walking past the swimming hole along the Cooper River Trail #1311 for 0.1 mile to the junction with the Polallie Ridge Trail #1309. Head right, away from the river toward the next junction to reach the Waptus River Trail #1310.
The wide, tree-lined trail gently rises upwards, reaching the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary at 1.1 miles. Continue onward eventually reaching the edge of the 2006 Polallie Ridge Fire. The burn is extensive, though grass and wildflowers have returned to add some color contrast to the sun-bleached trees that remain. With few trees to obscure your view, the skyline is largely dominated by the slopes of Davis Peak, parts of which were also burned in 2006.
After working your way through the burn, return to the shelter of the pines and push onward to reach the Waptus River, your merry travel companion for most of the rest of the hike. At 3.1 miles, the trail hits the bridgeless Hour Creek complete with campsite. Beyond, at the 6.9-mile mark, rejoin the river and pass the junction with the Trail Creek Trail #1322, it’s a short walk down to the riverside, but you will need to ford the river if you want to reach the campsites on the other side of the water. Continue for nearly a mile to reach a junction with the Waptus Pass Trail #1329 at 7.8 miles. Here there are also signs stating that the bridge across the Waptus River is out; it washed away in a flood in 2006. Continue down the Waptus Pass Trail to the well-signed Waptus Horse Ford Trail #1329.1.
Without a bridge, hikers and equestrians alike must now use the horse ford about 0.5 miles from the lake. While there is some seasonal variation, the ford typically requires a 75-foot wade across swiftly-running, very cold water that is usually about 2 feet deep. Once across continue down the dusty trail to reconnect with the Waptus River Trail and reach the first set of campsites at the end of the lake. There's a lot more to Waptus Lake, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!
The wide, tree-lined trail gently rises upwards, reaching the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary at 1.1 miles. Continue onward eventually reaching the edge of the 2006 Polallie Ridge Fire. The burn is extensive, though grass and wildflowers have returned to add some color contrast to the sun-bleached trees that remain. With few trees to obscure your view, the skyline is largely dominated by the slopes of Davis Peak, parts of which were also burned in 2006.
After working your way through the burn, return to the shelter of the pines and push onward to reach the Waptus River, your merry travel companion for most of the rest of the hike. At 3.1 miles, the trail hits the bridgeless Hour Creek complete with campsite. Beyond, at the 6.9-mile mark, rejoin the river and pass the junction with the Trail Creek Trail #1322, it’s a short walk down to the riverside, but you will need to ford the river if you want to reach the campsites on the other side of the water. Continue for nearly a mile to reach a junction with the Waptus Pass Trail #1329 at 7.8 miles. Here there are also signs stating that the bridge across the Waptus River is out; it washed away in a flood in 2006. Continue down the Waptus Pass Trail to the well-signed Waptus Horse Ford Trail #1329.1.
Without a bridge, hikers and equestrians alike must now use the horse ford about 0.5 miles from the lake. While there is some seasonal variation, the ford typically requires a 75-foot wade across swiftly-running, very cold water that is usually about 2 feet deep. Once across continue down the dusty trail to reconnect with the Waptus River Trail and reach the first set of campsites at the end of the lake. There's a lot more to Waptus Lake, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!
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