North Cascades National Park, WA
A forest climb to a quiet lake in the larch zone.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the North Cascades audio tour“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
War Creek Trail #408 is a 9.3-mile point-to-point hike from War Creek Trailhead to Juanita Lake, gaining 3,600 feet. Allow roughly 7 to 8 hours one way. Walking back to the same trailhead makes the outing about 18.6 miles, so an overnight or a longer backcountry itinerary is a better fit for many hikers.
Most of the approach is gradual and forested before it steepens near the subalpine; the last half-mile is especially steep. Much of Trail 408 burned in the 2018 Crescent Mountain Fire, and the trees thin as the route climbs. The upper approach reaches a larch-dotted basin between Purple and War Creek Passes.
The shallow, reedy lake sits above 6,600 feet among meadows, larches, and subalpine fir. Larch needles turn bright yellow in fall. Separate hiker and stock camps sit near opposite sides of the lake, and the outlet is the best water source identified for this route. Keep to the trail, snow, or rock to protect the fragile meadow.
A backcountry permit is required for overnight stays. Campfires are prohibited in the Juanita Lake basin; use a stove. The group limit is 12 total, counting people and stock.
Wildlife
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateChelan Summit Trail2.4 mi · 2 hr · 8.3 mi awayOpen larch meadows climb to a remote high-country pass.
ModerateTwisp Pass Trail via Twisp River Road9.4 mi · 7 hr · 9.8 mi awayA quiet climb past a shallow lake to broad pass views.
ChallengingPurple Creek Trail16 mi · 12 hr · 11.5 mi awayA punishing climb to a tucked-away larch basin.
ModerateLakeshore Trail17.2 mi · 9 hr · 11.5 mi awayThe long Lake Chelan traverse ends at Prince Creek.ChallengingPurple Pass / Boulder Creek Loop22.4 mi · 18 hr · 11.5 mi awayA hard climb to Purple Pass, then a long Boulder Creek descent.
ChallengingDevore Creek Trail15 mi · 13 hr · 12.5 mi awayA steep backcountry route from Weaver Point into Ten Mile Basin.
ModerateRainbow Loop Trail4.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 12.8 mi awayA 4.4-mile traverse for Lake Chelan and Stehekin Valley views.
ChallengingBoulder Creek Trail11.2 mi · 10.5 hr · 12.8 mi awayAn 11-mile one-way climb from Stehekin into high country.Parkwolf’s North Cascades ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
