Moose Lake

The trail to Moose Lake starts out high with spectacular views even from the often-crowded parking area. In the Olympics, it’s uncommon for hikes to mountain lakes to begin high and then drop down into subalpine valleys, but this trail does just that. This means quite a workout awaits you on the way back, so be prepared!

From the parking area, the trail follows dry and nearly treeless Lillian Ridge up and down through meadows, eventually ascending to this hike’s high point at 6,450 ft. at 1.2 miles. From here the trail turns downhill and begins a serious set of steep switchbacks through more meadows, scree, and subalpine trees.

At 3.0 miles you finally reach a lush meadow overlooking Grand Lake and in another .5 mile you come to the junction with the Badger Valley Trail, which leads to Grand Lake. To reach Moose Lake, stay right here and soon pass lovely Amaila Falls. Continue climbing steadily through the meadows and forests of Grand Valley to finally reach Moose Lake at 4.1 miles. The lake is surrounded by rocky, forested mountains and in the summer it is ringed by showy displays of subalpine flowers.

A ranger cabin here is staffed in the summertime, and camping is an option at Moose Lake. Keep in mind, however, that if you want to overnight, you'll need reservations and a backcountry permit.