The trip to Jade Lake and its sister lake Marmot Lake is often referred to as one of the most beautiful and most challenging hikes in Washington State. Located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Jade Lake is named for its nearly unreal aquamarine color. Jade Lake is best visited during a short window between August and early September, after the snow has melted.
A backpacking trip to Jade Lake is highly recommended for spontaneous adventurers since advanced reservations are not required to snag a campsite here!
Contents
Adventure Stats
Hiked in July 2022
Weather: 96F/52F sunny
Popularity: Extremely high, difficult to find a campsite
Route Finding: Off-travel navigation (cairn-following) beyond Marmot Lake required
Trail Hazards: None
Bug Pressure: THE WORST
Key Sights: Mountains, lakes, wildflowers, meadows, forest, rivers, waterfalls
Nights: 1
Group Size: 2
Rating: 3/10 - Read my closing thoughts to find out why.
The Route
Distance: 19.4 miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: +4368ft
Location: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Direct Link to Trailhead: Google Maps
My Map: Caltopo
Trip Report
Because we had a sudden change of weekend plans, we decided to check out the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which does not require advanced reservations. We chose to backpack to Jade Lake which was a bucket list destination for us since we heard about it last year, and it was the first weekend of the year that the camps were clear of snow. This was the very first time we had visited the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which has an awesome expansive network of trails in Washington State's national forests.
The trailhead is located roughly 110mi (or roughly a 2.5 hour drive) away from Seattle. 3 miles before we reached the trailhead, there was a 20-foot wide creek crossing on the road. Some people chose to park before the creek crossing and hike in an extra 3 miles, but we were able to make the crossing comfortably with our 2016 Volkswagen Golf. The end of the drive towards the trailhead has some beautiful meadows that are absolutely gorgeous during wildflower season.
For anyone who dreads long car rides to a trailhead, there is a vault toilet at the trailhead and plenty of parking. Be sure to bring a pen so that you can fill out a self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead. This parking lot has several trailheads, so be sure to have offline maps downloaded to end up at the right one.
The first several miles of the trail were slightly muddy and shaded. At around mile 2, we encountered a majestic elk with large antlers galloping across from us at Hyas Lake.
The first 3 miles of the trail were relatively flat, then continued on with gradual uphill incline until Marmot Lake. The trail passes through unbelievably green meadows and forests with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.
We hiked this route during one of the hottest days of the year. There are a couple sections of the trail that are not shaded or tree-covered. Be sure to bring plenty of sun protection (sunscreen, hats, sunglasses) and take plenty of breaks. We found that there were several streams and creeks along the trail to filter fresh cold water from.
We knew we were close to our final destination when we reached Marmot Lake. For anyone looking to shorten their trip by about 2 miles total, Marmot Lake is an awesome alternative campground. Because it's a little lower in elevation, Marmot Lake is accessible for just a few extra weeks out of the year than Jade Lake is. An alternative strategy can also be to set up camp at Marmot Lake, then taking a day hike up to Jade Lake.
The final mile to Jade Lake was a steep uphill scramble through a rock field, with small stacks of cairns along the route to guide us. The rock field flattens out at the top of a hill. Then, it's just a short hike past No-Name Lake to get to Jade Lake.
When we got to Jade Lake, we noticed that it had a distinct milky shade of aquamarine. We were surprised to find an outdoor toilet (that's right -- no walls!) along the trail just as we were approaching the lake. Sites were plentiful and dispersed, but when we arrived late in the day in July, there were almost no campsites left.
As we were setting up our tent, swarms of mosquitos began attacking us, even though we were coated with a healthy layer of bug spray. The mosquito attacks didn't stop as we were making our dinner at camp with bugs swarming around our face and around our spoons. We had to walk around in circles to reduce the amount of mosquitos ending up in our food as we tried to eat. Due to the bug pressure, some people opted to eat in their tents, which is not recommended from a food and wildlife safety perspective.
We were not able to spend much time outside by the lake but enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the lake from our tent.
Closing Thoughts - 3/10
Even though Jade Lake was gorgeous and the journey to the lake was exciting, the ravenous mosquitos soured the experience. Ultimately, the heavy mosquito presence around the lake made it too unpleasant to enjoy any activity outside our tent. I will not be back soon.
Your experience might be a lot better than mine if you try this trip in early September when most bugs in the Pacific Northwest have died off.
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