Kaleetan Peak, Melakwa Lake & Denny Creek — Monday, Jun. 8, 2026

Summary: (actually hiked on Thursday - 6/4) The hike is in good shape. Some obstacles present, but they should be easily navigated for just about all ability levels all the way to the lake. To Kaleetan Peak, I chose the White Ledges route to ascend. Some route-finding required, but the route is obvious. The ledges themselves are anywhere from Class III to Class IV depending on where you ascend. I returned via the standard route and I think that is generally the correct decision. Great views and a fun scramble up the ledges.

• Trail: In good shape, some blowdowns to negotiate. No real snow for the most part, just a couple quick stints of snow and that require no special gear.
• Bugs: Bugs were noticeable but not bothersome throughout the hike.
• Road: Plenty of parking in the Franklin Falls / Denny Creek parking area. It will fill up on a nice weekend however - try to get there before 10 on weekends in the summer.
• Gear: Some folks may find a helmet to be helpful, particularly in larger groups - I went solo and didn’t find it necessary. Due to a light snow pack this winter, there is no special gear required for this hike right now (heavier snow years may require spikes, etc.). A GPS is helpful due to the fact that the trail is vague and easy to lose in places past the lake.

Full Trip Report: 

• The Trail:
  • The route begins at the Franklin Falls/Denny Creek parking area. Cross the gated bridge over to the other side of the SFS River and follow the road to its end at the Denny Creek Trailhead. I won’t describe this piece of the trail much, as it is described in detail in other places. The trail up to Melakwa Lakes is straightforward and moderate. No scrambling or route-finding necessary - some blowdowns to negotiate, but nothing severe.
  • From Melawka Lakes
  • Standard Approach to Kaleetan: 
    • Once arriving at the lake, stay to the climbers left and look for a hiking trail that begins to ascend immediately. If you reach the second of the two lakes, you’ve gone too far. This route takes you more or less straight up a steep dirt and talus path to the ridgeline that connects to Kaleetan’s south (false) and north (true) summits. Once acquiring the ridgeline, traverse for a short distance before you descend to a saddle between the peaks (you will lose approx. 300ft of elevation in doing so). From here, traverse below the ridgeline, slowly gaining elevation until you reach the summit block. 
    • The summit block is obvious and relatively straightforward. Mid-Class II to Low Class III scrambling up talus and dirt with pretty limited exposure (maybe 250ft EG over approx. 100 yards). Individuals could certainly take some less obvious lines if they wanted to challenge themselves I suppose. Some groups may want to take a helmet, however, I did not find that to be necessary as the amount of loose rocks being kicked were minimal. All-in-all, I would say this is an excellent introduction to scrambling because the stakes and difficulty are very low (think Si but a little simpler), but the reward (the views) is high. 
  • The White Ledges Approach:
    • The white ledges are a great route to take, in my opinion, if the hiker is experienced and the conditions are favorable ( no snow/ice present, dry conditions) then this should be the preferred route. However, there are a lot of smooth boulders on the ledges and the exposure level is high in certain areas - so it is not necessarily ideal for a beginner climber.
    • To get to the ledges, you will take a trail to the climbers left of the first lake. Follow it past the first lake and then cross the stream before reaching the second (this will put you on the climbers right of the second lake). From here the route is a little wonky. I ended up just following a creek bed up to the talus fields - however - I believe there is a climbers trail to the right that I missed. Regardless, find a route that suits you and just head uphill - you can’t really go wrong so long as you’re heading NW into the very large gulch up ahead.
    • Once reaching the boulder field, the plan is generally the same. Find a route that suits you and just head up the gulch towards Melakwa Pass (where the gully terminates). I found myself on and off a hikers path intermittently the whole way up. The easiest way to reach the ledges is to continue up the gulch until Kaleetan’s summit is just a bit north and west of you. If you go too early it’s not detrimental, however, you get to deal with extra scree. Delaying until the last moment will allow you to boulder hop for most of the traverse.
    • Once at the ledges, you’ll have your choice of lines to ascend. The further you go to the hiker’s left will be the easiest, while the further right you go the more difficult. Also, the amount of scrambling required diminishes the further left you go. There is definitely exposure regardless of where you climb, but if you’re experienced and you test your rocks before each movement, the ledges really aren’t too challenging by most lines. 
    • I usually judge the veracity of a scramble by how long it takes, how tense I am while ascending (if I really start questioning my life choices), and the amount of acrobatics required to get up the scramble. This scramble took me about 10 minutes (not rushing), I never felt I was in danger or that my wife would kill me if she saw what I was doing, and there were only 1-2 moves where I felt a bit uneasy. So my internal barometer indicates this is a Class III/IV, depending on the line taken. I personally enjoyed the scramble, but I could see some routes that would've given me more pause. The far left side did look the most manageable from my vantage, but I can’t confirm that. 
    • After completing the scramble, you join the standard trail and almost immediately begin the summit block scramble - which is light work compared to what you just did. I returned via the standard route - downclimbing the ledges is possible. But it seems like the less efficient option to downclimb the ledges and then have to boulder hop down the gulch for about a mile.
• Hike stats (averaged between two GPS tracks):
  • Denny Creek - 1.3mi, 550ft EG
  • Large Waterfall - 2.05mi, 930ft EG
  • Bridge/Creek Crossing - 2.75mi, 1,475ft EG
  • Ridgeline  - 4.1mi, 2,490ft EG
  • Melakwa Lake - 4.55mi, 2,555ft EG
  • White Ledges - 5.8mi, 3,685ft EG
  • Summit - 6.1mi - 4,192ft EG
  • RT (returned via standard route)  - 12.85mi, 4,879ft EG