Seattle | Snow Lake Hiking

📍 Snow Lake Trail Visited Seattle during the Christmas holiday and lucked out with great weather, so we decided to go snow hiking the day before our trip! We originally wanted to go to Blanca Lake but were worried about the thick snow preventing our car from getting through, so we chose Snow Lake instead. Although the lake was frozen and we could only see a blanket of white, the scenery along the way was incredibly beautiful, making it worth the trip even if we didn’t complete the entire trail. ❄️ Essentials for winter snow hiking: Trekking poles, Microspikes for your shoes, Gaiters (we didn’t bring any and our shoes got wet), waterproof hiking boots, and lightweight, warm clothing that’s easy to put on and take off. Snowshoes with boards are not necessary. 🚗 About a 50-minute drive from Seattle, no snow chains are needed to get to the trailhead, and there’s a parking lot right next to it. 🪪 You need to buy a Recreation Pass to access the trail, which can be purchased at REI. 🔔 The trail is pretty easy to navigate, suitable for beginners. It’s very cold, but you warm up quickly while hiking, so it’s best to wear layers that you can easily remove. The zigzag path near the viewpoint can be slippery, but just be careful and you’ll be fine. The snow is quite thick, making for truly beautiful scenery (Southern folks were thrilled!) 💚 I recommend downloading the map from AllTrails before you go. We only made it to the second point on the map (Snow Lake Viewpoint) and didn’t reach the lake itself because it gets dark around 4 pm in winter, and we didn’t want to risk getting too cold or hungry. We started hiking around 10 am and ended up back at the bottom at 2 pm due to a wrong turn, covering a total of 5.6 miles. Also, a heads up: the toilets are closed in winter due to the thick snow, so keep that in mind. #Seattle #SeattleOutdoors #SnowMountain