Hike to Lake Stuart
Leavenworth, Washington
Details
Distance
9 miles
Elevation Gain
1665 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Rose Freeman
Hike into a valley with a large, shallow lake at the base of the face of Mt. Stuart! Enjoy grassy meadow (often filled with wildflowers). Total mileage: 9.0 miles, roundtrip. Elevation gain: 1,665 ft. Highest Point: 5,065 ft.
Begin this hike at the Lake Stuart trailhead at the end of Eightmile road just outside of Leavenworth, Washington. The trail follows Mountaineer Creek and leads you across a log bridge over the falls. After the bridge, the trail narrows and steepens through several switchbacks. After 2.2 miles, follow the fork in the trail to the right to continue on to Lake Stuart. When you arrive at a wide open meadow, enjoy a wide view of the valley spotted with groves of pine trees at the base of Mt. Stuart! Continue on past the meadow another 1/2 mile to arrive at the lake.
In the summer, enjoy wildflowers and tall green grass lining the lake. If you visit in the fall, keep an eye out for alpine larches covering the hillside with golden beauty.
If you're hoping to backpack and stay here, take note that you will need an overnight permit!
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Hike to Lake Stuart Reviews
My friends and I got lucky in the lottery; even ‘Covid-19’ didn’t take away our trip. We started around 9am; the two ‘Jack-Rabbits’ left me in the dust (I’m 56, overweight, and out of shape!), the next two had a great pace; the last two tried their best to keep pace, but I slowed them down alot. I use to be around the faster hikers, but I was definately living in the past on this trip! The trail was pleasant and winding for a good stretch; then the rocky climb contiued for a good, long distance. The lake was incredibly beautiful! Our camp site was just near the water and everyday a Doe and Fawn would trot by on gheir daily graize. What a great trip!
5.0
Plan your trip during the first half of October to experience the Enchantments Golden Week (Google images of "Enchantments Golden Week" to see what I mean), and see how these spectacular alpine larches light up in autumn. The weather in October will also be more mild and make hiking much more bearable compared to the searing summer temps.
5.0
The most popular permit request is Colchuck, by far. Makes Stuart more of the path less traveled. We camped at Stuart and then made a day hike up Aasgard and it was great. There is a FANTASTIC picture spot that you need to bushwhack a bit for..... As you're coming into the lake on the trail (consider this about 5 o'clock on the lake), if you branch off to the left and skirt the bottom side of the lake to the rocks at about 7 o'clock, you can get a wonderful reflection shot in the mornings. It's one of the best photos I've taken.
5.0
I was able to score a permit for the Stuart Zone for Memorial Day weekend. Hiked in at night and set up camp in one of the awesome spots near the lake. When I woke up, I was bummed it was windy, overcast and still pretty cold (this whole weekend). I decided to day trip over to Colchuck and got rewarded with some sunshine and mountain goat sightings. Awesome trip!
4.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Scramble to the Summit of Dragontail Peak
Hike to the Enchantments' Horseshoe Lake
Climb to the Summit of Colchuck Peak
Aasgard Pass via Stuart Lake Trail
Snowshoe to Colchuck Lake
Colchuck Lake via Stuart Lake Trail
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