What a beautiful day today to be outdoors, extremely cold but so picturesque everywhere in the PNW!
My friends and I arrived at the trailhead at 9am. The parking lot is huge and we parked in the last parking spot in Lot D which is closer to the trailhead.It being a weekday, we dint have any trouble finding a parking spot. We met only about 8 people during the hike.
Views open about 1/3 mile in and grow southward towards the ski area. The turnoff onto the real trail to the lake is unmarked at a corner three switchbacks up from the radio tower, about 1 mile from start. WTA directions are spot on. We had downloaded the map upfront and used it to navigate.
There is compact snow all the way. We carried snowshoes but did not use them. We kept our microspikes on all the time. Someone had made a gorgeous igloo near the lake and we jumped with joy when we spotted it! We took tons of pictures near the igloo. Another thing I was excited today was that I got to walk on the completely frozen lake! Wow! What an experience!
Skyline Lake is beautiful. You can enjoy a great lunch here. We hiked the loop around the lake to enjoy the changing vistas of surrounding mountain peaks. The real fun & pay off is onward to Rock Garden and the expansive views from there. Rock garden is just a jumble of huge boulders. The piles of snow on those massive boulders look so picturesque! We did not venture all the way to the topmost point. We had a quick lunch break while enjoying the views and then headed down. Be careful of rock wells (just like a tree well), melting snow bridges, and know your skill level/have proper safety gear if you intend going to the very top.
My Garmin recorded a round-trip of 4.38 miles. Its going to be gorgeous but cold the next few days! Go and try finding the igloo and enjoy!
Comments
Terrierpup on Skyline Lake
Igloo before the lake right? I never been to the other side of the lake since I only have microspikes.
Posted by:
Terrierpup on Jan 24, 2026 03:56 PM