Melakwa Lake Trailhead — Attraction in Washington

This was the longest hike I've ever been on (16.5 miles plus exploration, so at least 18 miles in 7 hours), and it had it all... Four waterfalls, three lakes, several vistas, dramatic clouds, mist undulating through the forest; as well as blueberries, raspberries, salmon berries, and tea berries along the entire trail. I did not see a soul between Lake Melakwa and Pratt Lake, and the unfound remoteness was compounded by constantly flushing undisturbed birds who were nesting on the side of the trail. This hike was an exercise in resource conservation as much as it was an exercise in, uhhh, exercise... A cool day with a gentle breeze, plus several opportunities to dip my head in various snow-melt lakes & streams kept my water consumption low. I was able to complete the trek with only my camelback. I also took a calculated risk and drank deeply from a briskly moving creek that was filtering through hundreds of feet of rock & flowing over expanses of iodine-rich moss... with no issues. 🤞 Most people who do this hike camp at one of the lakes, and complete the journey the following day, but it is a...

Hiked it 10/30 on a Sat. Parking was closed so had to park in Franklin falls lot and walk extra quarter mile to melakwa TH. Found plenty parking there even at 10 am. Was a beautiful day up there. No snow at all on the trail but I believe its due to sun that came up on Sat. Would recommend poles as i had to cross streams 2 times up the hill and poles help with balancing in water. Saw several hikers on the way to lakes Lakes are gorgeous and snow free right now Take a wind jacket to save you from high winds which shows up every now and then these days 😀 Carry water as this is a long hike or some kind of a filter. Plenty of creeks to refill. Took me around 6 hours of moving time with an hour of rest that was split across the hike. So...

Awesome hike! On the moderate to challenging side because of the elevation gain during the last third of the trail. But the view of the lakes at the top is gorgeous!

Got to the parking lot at 8:20am on a Saturday. It was pretty busy, had to park up the hill on the side of the road.

Took us about 3 hours to reach the lakes. Parts of the trail are covered in large rocks, so I’d recommend good hiking boots and trekking poles. There are also a few log bridges along the way that require a bit of balance.

Also recommend bringing bug spray and head nets as there are plenty of mosquitoes this time of year.

Lots of spots to sit and eat lunch around the lake. Would highly recommend checking...