Colchuck Lake

Absolutely stunning! The hike is challenging but so worth it. The trail starts out moderate, then gets steeper and rockier as you get closer to the lake, so good shoes are a must. It took me about 4–5 hours round trip with breaks, and the climb really gets your heart pumping. When you finally reach the top, the turquoise water with beautiful mountains in the background feels unreal—like something out of a postcard. It’s cold if you dip your feet in, but refreshing after the climb. Go early in the morning to avoid crowds, since the lot fills up fast.

It was definitely the hardest hike we’ve ever done but the views were so worth it!

Great hike, easy for the first 3 miles but the last 2 miles not so much. Steep , rocky pathways and it’s definitely more than 9 miles round trip even though it says differently when you look up the hike. It doesn’t matter once you get to the top is all worth it!! Gorgeous views, beautiful and clear water. Great spot to get lost for a few hours!

My first glacier lake. It was absolutely stunning. Experience was really great. Hiking was hard. We walk almost 10 miles up and down from parking lot. Suggest to go early. First 2-2.5 miles is absolutely beautiful not that hard either. Waterfalls and creek and forest.

It was a perfect day for hiking, if it were any hotter I would have sweat through my clothes. That was, until I got to the lake and froze my nards off. I like to consider myself in decent hiking shape, but this climb was no easy feat. The lake was well worth the challenge though, I'd love to see it in the sunmer. If you've got good knees and cardiovascular health, definitely do it.

It was an amazing hike I proposed to my fiance here. Such a breath taking experience. We are active people but unless you are hike active it can be tough. I recommend hiking stick and some snacks and some water I'd say at a slow pace 4hrs you can make it if you're quick 3 hours 30 min up and about 3 hours down. Overall it was worth it every second of it.

HIKED ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2024 This hike is one of the more popular hikes in the PNW for a reason! The views of forest, streams, boulder fields, and peekaboos of the mountains as you climb and then the lake and peak itself will take your breath away (for more than one reason)! It's marked hard because there is a pretty good amount of elevation gain and climbing over boulders and up rocky and root covered steep hillside. Also something to consider: I don't exercise regularly and am in my late 30s so I was huffing and puffing but this was slightly easier than I anticipated. Be prepared to share the trail with other hikers and guard your snacks! The chipmunks are BOLD and I caught one digging through someone's pack to get to the good stuff and trying to drag away his prize! The long version: There's a ton of parking, as long as you arrive early. It's a loop parking lot but once full the loop itself was really tight for some of the larger sprinter vans. I arrived during Larch season, shortly after sunrise, and the parking lot was BUSY. There was a pit toilet as well as two port-o-potties, all well stocked but also well used. Plenty of parking for overnight campers in designated spots if you have permits! The trail was well maintained and had everything from dusty loose dirt to small stream crossings, log crossings, large boulders, and many, many roots. It's a hike, up a mountain, so, ya know....watch your step! I'm terrible at finding the trail, and there were a few times I had to actually look for footprints to see that the trail went up the steep tree roots in a switchback pattern. I also would have totally missed the right hand turn after the double log bridge at the boulder field if someone else wouldn't have pointed out the small path (this is why you carry a copy of the trail map!). Once you arrive at the lake, get ready to explore! There are multiple little paths to get down to the lake via boulder, or you can follow the trail around to the right of the lake and it will eventually lead down to another area near the outlet stream where we all sunned ourselves on the rocks while we ate. The larches were glowing, and watching the sun transform the lake from frosty muted tones to its infamous blue felt like I had VIP access to the best show in town! I was alone and set my phone down to take a selfie and a chipmunk attempted to drag it away! It came right up to my boot as I sat there admiring the lake, so keep an eye on your stuff! Eat your lunch (or breakfast or beer) and savor the views before you continue onto Aasgard pass or turn around and head home. This is a great little taste of the enchantments and I will definitely be back again!

We arrived at the trailhead at 11.30am and saw cars parked on the right side of the road 0.5 miles before the parking lot. We drove all the way and luckily got a spot near trailhead as some cars were leaving after the hike. Finding a parking spot is challenging and it is recommended to arrive before 7am. There is a $5 fees for parking or a valid recreation pass is required. Carrying a bug spray is a must, we couldn’t have done it without the bug spray. Hiking poles are critical and wear comfortable hiking boots. Carry plenty of water and some fruits/energy bars. Trust me you will need it. It says 8.7 miles but it’s definitely more than that. We reached the lake after 5 miles of hike, the first 2 miles are easy and and then it starts getting challenging. Last 3 miles felt like a never ending climb. The last 2 miles are very steep mostly rocks and roots. We had to stop frequently to catch our breath. It started raining when we reached the top, beautiful view! You get a stunning view of the mountains. They don’t have any directions or clear marking to climb down to the lake. By the time we reached the lake the rain stopped. We took a quick dip into the lake, it was cold but not freezing. The water was crystal clear and turquoise blue even with overcast and cloudy sky! Heading back took us 3 hours. There were people climbing up even at 6pm when we were climbing down! This is one of the most popular hikes in the area so it’s always busy.