Annette Lake Trail

Annette Lake Trail is a 7.5-mile round trip hike in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Snoqualmie Pass area), with about 1,800 feet of elevation gain to an alpine lake.

Start just to the right of an information kiosk at the east end of the trailhead parking area. The route follows Humpback Creek early on and crosses it around 0.2 miles, with waterfall sound nearby.

After the creek crossing, the trail continues through Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar forest, then passes under powerlines and intersects the old railway grade that’s now the Iron Horse State Park Trail (about a mile in).

From there the hike begins a sustained climb up the western slope of Silver Peak, with switchbacks gaining elevation through old clear-cuts before it levels out in the last stretch before the lake.

Midway up, the route traverses old-growth forest and crosses the abandoned Milwaukee Road railroad line (now the John Wayne Trail). About 0.75 miles from that point west of the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel area, you stay with the switchbacks for roughly the next two miles.

As you approach Annette Lake, the trail transitions from the steeper climb to more moderate walking, ending near the lake outlet. Campsites are across the outlet on the northwest side of the southwest section of the lakeshore.

For access and stay-or-go planning, the trail is closed to motorized vehicles. Bicycles and stock are not allowed above the Iron Horse Trail; hiking, horse riding, and mountain biking are otherwise part of the broader route access pattern.

At the trailhead, a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required for day use fee payment. Winter access uses a Sno-Park arrangement (with a restroom and a marked 2-mile round trip snowshoe route at the trailhead), and chains can be required for I-90 access during winter closure periods.

More information: Visitor information, Visitor information, Annette Lake - Washington Trails Association