| RATINGS | Scenery 8 Difficulty 8 Solitude 7 |
| ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE | 7.4 miles |
| ELEVATION GAIN | 3,400' |
| OPTIONAL MAPS | Green Trails The Brothers (No. 168) and Mount Steel (No. 167) |
| USUALLY OPEN | Mid-July–October |
| BEST TIME | Mid-July–October |
| AGENCY | Hood Canal Ranger District (Olympic National Forest), 360-765-2200, fs.usda.gov/ recarea/olympic/recreation/ recarea/?recid=47691; Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, 360-565-3130, nps.gov/olym |
| PERMIT | National Park Service permit required for camping at the lake (or anywhere within Olympic National Park). You can usually get this at the second trailhead, off the old roadbed; to be safe, contact the park’s wilderness information center. Permits are $8 per person per night. No fires allowed above 3,500'. Note: The National Park Service periodically closes this area for mountain goat management; check online ahead of time. |
Highlights
Although relatively short, this is a steep and challenging hike that takes you to a wonderfully scenic little alpine lake high in the Olympic Mountains. In addition to being a great destination in itself, the lake is a fine place to set up a base camp for explorations of the surrounding mountains. Due to the steepness and exposure of this route, those who are afraid of heights should not attempt this hike. Boots with good traction are a must, especially if conditions are wet.
Getting There
Drive 110 miles north of Portland on I-5 to Olympia and take Exit 104 for US 101. After 6 miles take Exit 101 to stay on US 101, and then drive 43.8 miles to a junction with paved Hamma Hamma Road near milepost 318. Turn left (west), drive 6.5 miles to a T-junction, turn right, and then go 5.7 miles (first on pavement then good gravel) to the signed Putvin Trailhead immediately after a bridge over Boulder Creek.
GPS COORDINATES N47° 35.007' W123° 14.016'
Hiking It
The trail begins as a well-maintained path that climbs moderately steeply through a second-growth forest of western hemlocks and western red cedars. Salal, vine maple, sword fern, and Oregon grape are abundant beneath the forest canopy. On your right, generally unseen Boulder Creek cascades along in a nearly continuous waterfall. At 0.3 mile you pass the signed but easy-to-miss grave site of Carl Putvin, who, the sign informs you, was a pioneer, trapper, and explorer who lived from 1892 to 1913. About 0.2 mile above this point, the trail climbs steeply around some huge moss-covered boulders before cutting left, away from the creek, and traveling at a gentler grade across a hillside. A few partial breaks in the forest here reveal tantalizing glimpses of rugged Mount Pershing to the south.
At 1 mile you cross a pair of rocky gullies where the trail is prone to washouts. In another 0.3 mile you meet a long-abandoned road (and the second trailhead mentioned above, where you can get a wilderness permit). Turn left (slightly downhill), and walk 25 yards to the resumption of the trail.
Now almost continuously steep, the trail makes a few short switchbacks and then traverses to a sign indicating your entry into the Mount Skokomish Wilderness. Shortly beyond this sign, at 1.7 miles, and just before you come to (but do not cross) tumbling Whitehorse Creek, is a mediocre campsite on the right. From here, more very steep climbing in short switchbacks leads to a relatively open avalanche chute at 2.3 miles that is choked with bracken fern, beargrass, and pearly everlasting.
Just 0.2 mile after the avalanche chute, you reach a gently sloping basin filled with an impenetrable tangle of slide alder. Directly ahead of you, at the northwest end of this basin, is a steep headwall where waterfalls cascade down from above. Lake of the Angels sits at the top of this imposing headwall. The rough trail climbs around the right side of the basin and then charges very steeply uphill, often over exposed rocks. In a couple of places you will need to grab onto rocks and roots to help pull yourself up.
Near the top of the headwall, the terrain opens up, becomes less steep, and features lots of huckleberries and good views. The trail’s last 0.5 mile goes up and down, crossing a marshy meadow and several small creeks, and passing a shallow pond before depositing you on the northeast shore of Lake of the Angels. This scenic, teardrop-shaped lake is surrounded by rocky areas, meadows, and high-elevation conifers such as subalpine firs, Alaska yellow cedars, and mountain hemlocks. As always, never camp in the fragile meadows near the lake, but instead seek out places with harder surfaces away from the shore. The best views are from the south shore up to rugged Mount Stone.
Adventurous hikers can use the lake as a base camp for some fine explorations. Top goals include the views from atop the ridge to the west (accessible by an easy but unsigned boot path), the Stone Ponds (reached by a tough scramble through an obvious notch in the southeast shoulder of Mount Stone), and the top of a snow-filled gully high on the shoulder of Mount Skokomish to the southwest.
Mount Stone presides over Lake of the Angels in Olympic National Park.
photo by Douglas Lorain
| 3 | Lena Lakes |
| RATINGS | Scenery 9 Difficulty 4–8 Solitude 2 | |
| ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE | 6.2 miles to Lena Lake; 14.4 miles to Upper Lena Lake | |
| ELEVATION GAIN | 1,350' to Lena Lake; 3,900' to Upper Lena Lake | |
| OPTIONAL MAP | Green Trails The Brothers (No. 168) | |
| USUALLY OPEN | April–November for Lena Lake; July–October for Upper Lena Lake | |
| BEST TIME | Anytime it’s open | |
| AGENCY | Hood Canal Ranger District (Olympic National Forest), 360-765-2200, fs.usda.gov/recarea/ olympic/recreation/ recarea/?recid=47691; Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, 360-565-3130, nps.gov/olym | |
| PERMIT | National Park Service permit required for camping at Upper Lena Lake; it’s a quota area, so reservations are required May–September; to request a reservation, email [email protected] as early as February 15. (Note: Olympic National Park is considering a new system for handling reservation requests, so check its website when planning your trip.) Permits are $8 per person per night; contact the park’s wilderness information center for permits. Northwest Forest Pass required. No fires allowed above 3,500'. |
Highlights
This trip gives you a choice: For an easier hike, follow the popular trail to attractive Lena Lake, a lower-elevation destination that is open most of the year. For more dramatic scenery, continue on a rougher trail into the high country to spectacular Upper Lena Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Olympic Mountains. Hikers with children younger than teenagers should stop at Lena Lake.
Getting There
Drive 110 miles north of Portland on I-5 to Olympia