Hiking to Hidden Lake Lookout in North Cascades National Park
I have wanted to hike Washington’s Hidden Lake Lookout Trail for seven years. Finally, after all that time, I checked it off my list just as fall was turning to winter in October 2024. With a dusting of snow on the peaks and trail high above, I explored new terrain, saw the magic of the North Cascades, and embraced the near-freezing temperatures of life in the mountains.
Inside is my guide to help you plan your hike into North Cascades National Park and photos to inspire you to reach out and grab an experience like this. As always, thanks for reading!
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Trail Guide to Hidden Lake Lookout
Quick Hidden Lake Hiking Details
- Distance: 8.25 miles
- Elevation Gain: 3,300 feet
- Time on Trail: 4.5 moving time, ~6 hours with breaks
- Difficulty: Hard
- High Clearance Vehicle Required
- Drive time from Seattle: 2.5 hours
- Closest town: Marblemount
My Trip Report to Hidden Lake Lookout
Getting to the trailhead
I’d been monitoring the weather for a few days and didn’t know that I would be hiking up to Hidden Lake when I awoke. But with favorable weather in the Marblemount/North Cascades area, I packed up my bag and hit the trail.
The drive was easy in the middle of the day, with no rush hour traffic. After cycling through various podcasts, I reached Cascade River Road in under two hours. This portion of Cascade River road is paved until you veer left onto the extremely bumpy forest road up to the Hidden Lake Lookout trailhead.
The first mile was not fun, but I took it slow, and eventually, it smoothed out for a while. There are plenty of rocks, but nothing too large for the 4Runner to worry about.
The entire time I kept thinking, thank god I’m doing this on a weekday, as I would not like to meet a car coming down the other way. Honestly, there are only a few spots that would make for a pull-off, and trying to figure that out would be terrible.
As I was driving intently and navigating rocks, potholes, and bumps, I don’t know precisely how long it took me. A good estimate would be 20-25 minutes to drive the 4 miles of dirt road.
Heading onto the trail
Now, the fun part! I mentally break this trail into three parts: the forest (about a mile), the uphill basin (another 1.25 miles), and finally, the upper portion, mainly above the treeline (2 miles).
For me, the final part was in the snow, though it was two inches max until the very end.
The first two miles were far harder than the last two. The basin was steep, and the switchbacks seemed endless. Thankfully, the views were gorgeous, and I had plenty to look at whenever I took a break.
Right around the time you leave the forest, you’ll have a couple of creeks to cross. All of them have logs to walk over, though none were more than 3-4 inches deep. I assume early in the season, as the snow melts, this could be harder – but I can’t give an honest assessment.
Once I had zig-zagged up the basin and I began the long loop around, I reached the snowy trail. For the next two miles, I trekked alone, watching the clouds come and go. It got significantly colder as I hiked higher and towards Hidden Lake. (It makes sense as there was more snow on the ground.)
The trail was easy to follow, even with a light dusting, and I had no concerns about footing or injury risk. That said, at the very end, I did get slightly off the trail as a lot of snow had been blown into the gully just below the National Park boundary. I followed a trail left. Do not do this.
The trail goes straight to the right (follow the All Trails route).
Eventually, I made my way back to the trail, though they would have had to backtrack for some as I did some light climbing to venture over boulders.
Reaching Hidden Lake and North Cascades National Park
As the entire lake basin was covered in snow now, I opted not to climb the final 200+ feet to Hidden Lake Lookout. Instead, I found a flat rock, pulled out my sandwich, and enjoyed the views of Hidden Lake and North Cascades National Park.
Ironically, this was just my third time hiking within the National Park boundaries. It felt pretty cool to explore more of one of the country’s least visited National Parks.
But due to frigid temperatures around freezing, I didn’t last long at the lake. Plus, after about 15 minutes of enjoying the view, a cloud came in, and I had zero views. It seemed like a good sign to get going and try covering as much of the trail as possible in daylight.
Heading down was super easy. By the time I got out of the Hidden Lake basin, it had warmed up considerably, and I could de-layer. While walking down, the fading light turned the clouds the prettiest orange and red and illuminated the peaks above.
It was a stunning sight, and it made me incredibly grateful to have been able to explore a new trail in Washington.
Longform video of the hike
What you need to know about hiking the Hidden Lake Lookout Trail
How’s the road going up?
Oof! The road isn’t 10/10 terrible, but it’s definitely an 8/10 bad. It’s quite bumpy and rocky for the first mile. Then it calms down a bit and ebbs and flows between cruddy and decent.
I handled it fine in a 4Runner, and a Subaru would do OK if it has clearance. (An Impreza would NOT do well.)
Other Trails in the North Cascades
Cascade Pass and Sahale Glaicer Camp
Maple Pass Trail
Wing Lake
Cutthroat Pass
High Pass
Egg Lake and the Copper Ridge Trail
Grasshopper Pass
Can you sleep inside the lookout?
Yes, you can. It is first come, first served, so you’ll want to get a semi-early start to the day to ensure you make it up there. If there’s already someone up there, you can ask if you can sleep inside.
But if it is full, you need a permit to sleep down by the lake as that is in the National Park. (The lookout is in the National Forest.)
Do I need a permit from the National Park Service?
As mentioned above, if you plan to camp by the lake, you need a permit because you’re staying overnight in the National Park. If you don’t want to deal with a permit, you can camp on the south side of the ridgeline, in the national forest.
I didn’t look too closely at campsites on my hike, but I imagine a few in the area have easy water access.
Are drones allowed?
On the national forest side, yes, drones are allowed. You cannot launch or land a drone in the National Park. So, once you pass the boundary, drones are not permitted. Be thoughtful and respectful if you choose to fly one in the area.
When is the best time to do this hike?
This is a classic Washington summer and fall hike. The upper portions of this hike are over 6,000 feet, which means that snow will linger into the summer months and accumulate in the fall. That said, it is a south-facing slope, meaning it will melt out once our long summer days start rolling out.
I did this hike on October 22, 2024, and there was snow already above 5,000 feet.
How far of a drive is it from Seattle?
If traffic is light in the metro area, it should take you about 2.5 hours to reach the Hidden Lake trailhead. It’s an easy drive until you veer off onto the dirt road. Then, it slows down considerably.
There are a couple of gas stations in Marblemount, so you can easily fill up before or after the hike. There is not a lot of lodging, though, so you’ll need to research spots if you plan to stay overnight in the area.
What Gear did I bring?
Here’s a quick rundown of what I brought (minus the bear spray). Though, if it makes you feel better, of for it!
- Base Layers
- Sun Hoodie – Men’s & Women’s
- Fleece – Men’s & Women’s
- Hooded Puffy Jacket 800+ down – Men’s & Women’s
- Lighter Puffy Jacket, no hood – Men’s & Women’s
- Beanie
- Gloves
- Hiking Poles
- Waterproof Boots
- 30L+ Hiking Pack – Men’s & Women’s
- Snacks while on the trail
- Bear Spray
- Headlamp
Final Thoughts on the Hidden Lake Lookout Hike
The view throughout the hike up the Hidden Lookout Trail is gorgeous, and once you’re at the lake, it is simply magical. From above, it looks like the lake just falls off the side of a cliff. While challenging, it is definitely one of the better hikes I’ve done in Washington, and I can only imagine the views if you had it on a clear day.
I highly recommend it, and I have no doubt you’ll enjoy your time in North Cascades National Park.
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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