Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
950.00 ft (289.56 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
13.00 mi (20.92 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Set aside a weekend for this hiking excursion, because once you get to the lake, you won't be in a hurry to leave. Just over the ridge from Lake Dorothy, Snoqualmie Lake offers ideal lakeside camping, fishing and plenty of solitude. The 13 miles are manageable as a day hike, but don't be fooled by the net elevation gain of 950 feet. One must hike over a ridge to get from Dorothy to Snoqualmie, so the total gain ends up being over 2,600 feet round trip.

Start out hiking the trail to Lake Dorothy, crossing over Camp Robber Creek and skirting the 2-mile lake shore until the trail reaches an inlet on the south end. There is no bridge, but there are plenty of rocks to get you across to where the trail continues on the other side and soon begins switchbacking up the ridge. The trail is steep and a bit rough, passing under towering firs and cedars and through dense patches of wild blueberries. Stop for a berry snack and have a look back down the ridge for fleeting views of Lake Dorothy below.

Once over the ridge, hike past Bear and Deer Lakes and ascend another ridge for your first view of Snoqualmie Lake far below. Navigating the rocky switchbacks down to the lake takes some effort, but you will be pleasantly distracted by red columbines, more blueberries and encouraging glimpses of the lake as you go. At the lake, you will come across several campsites; one particularly inviting one sits right off a sandy beach near a large, flat lunch rock. Set up camp, lounge in the sun, take a dip in the water, or try your hand at catching fresh trout for dinner.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Solidude. Lakeside camping. Wild berries.

Cons

Long, rough road to trailhead.

Trailhead Elevation

2,260.00 ft (688.85 m)

Features

Backcountry camping
Wildflowers
Fishing

Location

Nearby Adventures

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

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