pyramid lake

We thoroughly enjoyed this hike during our three night stay in the Northern Cascades. The hike gains about 1500' of elevation over 2 miles so be prepared for a challenging climb. The trail is also quite narrow and rocky which made the hike a little slower than we anticipated. It took us about an hour and a half to arrive at the lake.Thee first few hundred yards and the last few hundred yards are the steepest parts of the trail. The rest of the hike is through a pleasant mountain valley surrounded by lots of unique and diverse vegetation and forest canopy. You will pass over the small mountain brook several times and have lots of areas for fun scenic photos. The forest is very quiet so listening to the wildlife in the area was a fun experience. Once we arrived at the lake, we were a little underwhelmed. It is small and doesn't have much shoreline. There also isn't much of a view from there. However, we did hike a little higher up off of the trail towards the east and found some great opportunities for photos of the surrounding mountain areas, including Pyramid peak. The heavy forest does make off trail exploring a challenge, so be very careful! Coming down was much easier, but it made me wish I had worn hiking boots instead of running shoes. The rocky trail is pretty hard on the ankles. Despite that, I'd have to say that this hike was the highlight of our trip!

If you decide to do the Pyramid Lake trail, do it for the workout, not the destination. This trail is a little over 4 miles round trip with a 1500 foot elevation gain. There are lots of rocks, tree stumps, and when I was there, an occasional tree down. After getting off this trail I noticed my right boot (shoe) that I have had for years was giving way. This is one tough climb. Pyramid Lake itself is pretty, but not that big. I've heard it referred to as a pond, it's that small. On a clear day (mine was iffy) Pyramid Peak can be seen up above. About halfway up, after crossing the creek for the first time, stay near the creek and that's where the trail continues. If I hadn't remembered the info in the books, I could have easily got turned around. That section is a bit confusing. It is definitely a workout hike, but there are prettier lakes in the area that are worth hiking or walking to.