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Diablo Lake Trail
The Diablo Lake Trail lets you experience the natural beauty of the Skagit River lakes and surrounding forest from higher elevations that aren't too hard to reach.
Plan Around Diablo Lake Trail
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Diablo Lake Trail Details
The Diablo Lake Trail lets you experience the natural beauty of the Skagit River lakes and surrounding forest from higher elevations that aren't too hard to reach. The trail traverses the slopes of Sourdough Mountain and slowly climbs through a pretty old-growth forest to a short side trail and overlook of Diablo Lake. The lake's waters, while attractive from the shore, gain an even deeper turquoise color as you climb. The trail keeps ascending and quickly delivers incredible views of Pyramid, Snowbird, and Colonial Peaks, along with a frighteningly steep drop into a deep gorge with a cascading, 700-foot, multi-tiered waterfall. Although it may seem like the views can't get much better, the trail continues on, opening up to wider and wider vistas of Ross Lake before descending to a suspension bridge, where it peters out overlooking Ross Dam and Ruby Mountain. There are no campsites on this trail, but there are numerous commercial campgrounds and backcountry sites around Ross and Diablo Lakes. The trailhead is one mile before the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Dam Road, at milepost 127.5 on State Route 20.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
7.6 miles
Estimated time
3 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Diablo Lake Trail
Compare nearby parks around Diablo Lake Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Diablo Lake Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Diablo Lake Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is the program headquarters for the North Cascades Institute.
0.1 mi away
Diablo Lake
Diablo Lake is a popular destination for hikers, kayakers, canoeists, and fishermen.
0.7 mi away
Diablo Dam
Diablo Dam is one of the dams created by the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, and was once the tallest dam in the world.
1.1 mi away
Diablo Lake Overlook
The Diablo Lake Overlook on the North Cascades Scenic Highway is a favorite destination for many visitors.
1.3 mi away
Sourdough/Pierce Mountain Trail
The climb up Sourdough Mountain is one of the most challenging and rewarding day hikes in North Cascades National Park.
