Snow Lake has been on my ‘to see’ list for a long time so earlier this summer, I finally set a date and arranged a babysitter.  I knew this was a longer hike (7+ miles) and there was no chance the kids would enjoy that.  We made it a day date, which was perfectly timed with John’s birthday!

snow lake hike

Snow Lake is an alpine lake within Snoqualmie Pass.  Though technically part of North Bend, it was actually quite a bit past the other North Bend hikes we’ve done.  A full hour from Seattle.  But, absolutely worth every minute of the drive.

It was a gorgeous hike.  Full of really neat and rocky terrain (I was glad I had my hiking poles for this one).  There were even wildflowers in bloom along the initial path.

After about 2 miles, there’s a stunning view of Snow Lake (see above).  From there it’s another mile down to the shore… absolutely worth going down there (see below).  We sat next to the lake and enjoyed a quick lunch.

A note of warning:  this was BY FAR the most crowded hike I’ve been on in the PNW.  We got a pretty early start (around 9am) but by the time we were returning, the trail was super crowded.  I’d recommend doing this one on a week day or definitely plan to get an early start if you’re there on a weekend.

As far as kid-friendly hikes go, I did see a lot of kids, but the trail can be narrow with steep drop offs so I wouldn’t recommend bringing really young children on his hike unless they’re content (and light enough to be carried) in the backpack the entire time.

Oh, PNW, I’m so in love with you.   Check out other ‘exploring seattle’ posts to see other hikes we’ve enjoyed!