Hiking Lake Valhalla: A Complete Guide
Lake Valhalla and Litchenberg Mountain during sunset in July.
Length:
7 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain:
1500 feet
Pass:
NW Forest Pass
America the Beautiful
Dog Friendly:
Yes, on leash.
Lake Valhalla is a stunning alpine lake nestled in the Central Cascades, offering a scenic and accessible hike with breathtaking mountain views. This dog-friendly trail is perfect for hikers looking to enjoy a peaceful day in the wilderness with their four-legged companions. Whether you visit in the summer for wildflowers and clear blue waters or in the fall for golden larches, Lake Valhalla is a year-round gem that showcases the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
I have done this hike twice and both times in 2024. This hike has been on my bucket list for a while but I was always afraid of the crowds. I somehow got super lucky with seeing only about 4 other parties when I did this as a sunset hike in July. I returned to this hike in September because we were camping in the nearby Nason Creek Campground. It was a little chilly but I managed to convince my friend to launch our packrafts and paddled on Lake Valhalla.
Start Here:
Fall colors beginning to pop up on the Lake Valhalla trail.
Overview
Lake Valhalla is an easy to moderate trail located in the Central Cascades/Stevens Pass East area. This hike is great for a day hike and a good introduction to anyone that is looking to backpack for the first time.
There are two ways to access Lake Valhalla - one being the Smithbrook Trailhead and the other being from Stevens Pass using a section of the PCT. In this blog post, I will be referring to the hike that starts at Smithbrook. It’s the only way I have done it and I found that the elevation gain was modest and very well-maintained.
The trail is 7 miles roundtrip with the option to summit Mount McCaulsland, which adds a little less than half a mile to the hike. However, the trek to McCaulsland isn’t the easiest, you climb for about 600 feet until you are rewarded with an unobstructed view of Lake Valhalla, Litchenberg Mountain and Glacier Peak to the north.
Getting to the trailhead
The Smithbrook trailhead is about a 2 hour drive from Seattle. When entering into Google Maps or any other map app that you are using, I would directly put in ‘Smithbrook Trailhead’. If not, there is a chance that your app would point you to the other trailhead, which starts off the Pacific Crest Trail near Stevens Pass.
The road was passable to all types of vehicles. It was the typical forest service road so it was definitely a slightly bumpy ride in but as long as you take it slow, you will be fine. There is no cell reception once you leave Highway 2 so I would suggest downloading offline maps to make sure you are able to access directions to the trailhead.
The parking lot was medium-sized and could maybe fit 20 cars. Since this was a forest service road, if the parking lot is full, you do have the option to park along the road. Just make sure other folks are able to still access the main road to and from the trailhead. There is also a bathroom at the trailhead.
Hiking to Lake Valhalla
When you see this sign, you know you are on the right track.
This trail is considered easy to moderate. Moderate only because sections of the trail seemed to be climbing nonstop. However, this trail was really well marked and well maintained. I think it has been a while since I’ve been on a trail where the trail felt so smooth and almost groomed.
After about 1.2 mile, you come to a junction - continue left to stay on the trail to Lake Valhalla. Head right if you want to hike on the PCT. I imagine this is where the other trail intersects with the Smithbook trail. There are no signs indicating where to go, but there is a small sign on a tree that reads ‘No Campfires at Lake Valhalla’. When you see that sign, follow it and you know you are on the right track.
Most of the trail was covered and shaded until you enter the last mile or so. The trail then opens up and you start getting views of Litchenberg Mountain. No views of the lake yet unfortunately. In the fall, this section would be covered in fall colors. In the summer, I imagine you can find all sorts of wildflowers here.
Hiking up to Mount McClausland
The first time I did this hike, I knew I wanted to catch sunset. At first, I was a little hesitant to do the 0.5 mile climb up to Mount McClausland but ultimately, I was very happy that I did. Like I mentioned, it was steep to climb up to the summit but the views were very worth it. A lot of this section was loose rocks and the trail was almost sandy at times. My dog did just fine but he does enjoy climbing and most of the time, he hikes a lot faster than I do no matter the terrain.
I read somewhere after the hike that there is a summit registry but I didn’t see it when I was on top of Mount McClausland. I must have missed it because I was so distracted by the 360 views of the Cascade Mountains, Lake Valhalla, Litchenberg Mountain and Glacier Peak. I rested for a long while at the summit while I waited for the sun to start setting. The colors were absolutely gorgeous. It was a little hazy due to multiple fires burning in the Cascades but I was still able to get a good view of the surrounding peaks. I can’t imagine what it would look like if it was clear.
I completed this sunset hike in August and as you expected, the bugs were bad. I used 100% deet and it didn’t seem to deter any of the bugs. I thought as the temperatures cooled, the bugs were become less ferocious but I was very wrong about that. Even my dog was getting slightly annoyed by the bugs. I recommend potentially bringing a bug net if you plan on staying up here at the summit. There were still some wildflowers blooming but I assumed the peak was already over. I hung out for a little more before starting the descent back to the intersection. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of hiking in the dark but with my dog, I do feel a lot safer.
Hiking down to Lake Valhalla
Packrafting on Lake Valhalla
I returned to this hike in September of the same year. We were camping at Nason Creek Campground and this seemed to be the closest hike in the area aside from Lake Wenatchee. I wanted to take some more photos of my friends packrafting anyway so I thought Lake Valhalla would be a good choice since the elevation gain was easy to moderate.
I saw a few campsites scattered along the lake and I believe there were a few more that was tucked a little further away from the lake itself. The general rule is not camp right on the lakeshore. There weren’t many backpackers out on this weekend. I’m guessing it was probably because the weather definitely felt rather chilly. Even being on the water for about 45 minutes was enough for both my friend and I to call it quits.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been wanting to visit Lake Valhalla in the winter as well since I heard this hike would be good for snowshoeing as well. But I haven’t had the chance to do that yet mainly because I didn’t want to fight the crowds on the road headed to Stevens Pass. I’ve driven on this road a few times and to be honest, I don’t feel super comfortable taking my FWD Honda Civic on it even though I am quite comfortable putting on chains.
But I still highly recommend doing this trail as a day hike in the summer or fall. September was probably a little too early to see the fall foliage in full blast but I was still happy to be able to start seeing the trees and leaves turn orange and red. Sunset up at Mount McCaulsland was definitely worth it even though the 600 feet of elevation gain in less than a mile was no joke. There were plenty of spots up in the summit to soak in the views and catch your breath.
On the way back from Lake Valhalla, I highly recommend stopping by for some food either in Gold Bar or Sultan before driving all the way home. On the way there, I do enjoy stopping by Espresso Chalet for a coffee. This is a touristy spot but you will get a rather nice view of Mount Index and Bridal Veil Falls as well.
Resources
🌲 Wilderness Regulations - USFS resource on wilderness regulations
🌲 Lake Valhalla on WTA - Trail description, passes and directions
🌲 Skykomish Ranger District - check trail conditions and fire restrictions