Devils Punchbowl

Devils Punchbowl is a small cove on Lake Crescent’s north shore, wrapped by a curved footbridge along the Spruce Railroad Trail. The paved old railroad grade makes most of the approach straightforward, but the final spur is narrow and rough, and the cove has little room when busy. From the East Beach trailhead, allow about a mile each way. Arrive earlier for easier parking and more space by the water. For the signature view, frame the bridge curving over the blue-green cove.

Near the first railroad tunnel, a roughly 0.1-mile spur branches from the paved trail to the bridge. It is steep, rocky and rooted. The smoother grade is the easier, wheelchair-accessible part; the final spur is not accessible. Bikes share the main trail, and leashed dogs are allowed. Distances vary with the trailhead you choose.

Many visitors come to swim, and some jump from the rocks. Lake Crescent is cold and exceptionally deep, so this is not a shallow wading spot. The bridge and cove are compact, which is part of their appeal and the reason they can feel crowded later in the morning or on weekends.

Lake Crescent was carved by glaciers and reaches 624 feet deep. Its low nitrogen levels support little phytoplankton, helping light travel through the water; visibility can reach 60 feet in some places. Reflected light gives the lake its blue-green cast.

About 7,000 years ago, a landslide separated Lake Crescent from Lake Sutherland. The isolation helped produce two trout populations found nowhere else: Beardslee and Crescenti trout.