Backpacking Chain Lakes Loop
The night Mount Shuksan had a dream-worthy lenticular cloud hat.
Mileage: 6.5 mile loop
Elevation gain: 1,800 feet
Dogs allowed: yes
Difficultly: easy/moderate
Solitude: very crowded
Distance from Seattle: 2 hours 45 minutes with zero traffic
Permitted: yes (NW Forest Pass or National Parks Pass)
Other notes: the trailhead area is very popular for day hikers and tourists in general. If you plan to hike this between Memorial day and early October, you’ll want to arrive early or wait until later in the day. The campground around Hayes Lake is packed, so my recommendation is to get there early to secure one of the spots where other people cant camp right on top of you!
I can’t believe I forgot to recap this backpacking trip! It was such a special adventure celebrating Allie’s birthday. Unfortunately, Michael couldn’t join us, but the three of us still had an amazing time. Since so much time has passed, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. The trip was filled with stunning views for two days straight and was the perfect way to celebrate Allie! :)
