Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Hiking in Paradise – Reflection Lakes, Bench Lake and Snow Lake
Our last day in Paradise had a bit of everything – mountain views, crystal clear lakes, wildflowers and wildlife. We woke up early and left the Paradise Inn for the trailhead to Bench Lake and Snow Lake, just a few miles down the road.
Stopping to look at wildflowers along the way,
we saw deer in the woods, always a treat.
We continued to Reflection Lakes where there was just a bit of reflecting under clear blue skies.
Soon after we arrived at the trailhead which was almost deserted.
The trail was moderate, 2.5 miles RT to Snow Lake, climbing through meadows and forest, with views of Mt. Rainier behind
and Unicorn Peak ahead.
Sometimes it was smooth and flat under open sunshine,
other times it was steep and rocky
with strange creatures seeming to rise out of the ground to grab me.
There were wildflowers and wildlife both seen and unseen – more on that later.
After a mile we arrived at a fork in the road.
Our original intention was to go to Bench Lake, but we heard from other hikers that the trail down to the lake was a bit of a scramble.
So we continued on to Snow Lake, a good decision it turns out as it was by far the prettier of the two.
After enjoying our snack and soaking in the beauty of the place we headed back down the trail. I scanned the nearby peaks looking for mountain goats – it seemed a perfect place for them to hang out – but came up short.
I should have been looking for bears. As we were coming down, some backpackers told Bob they’d seen a bear on the trail. He didn’t tell me until we were safely back at the car.
Why worry my pretty little head, right? 😉
According to the National Park Service website –
“The trail is a succession of gradual ups and downs as it crosses a series of low ridges. The path first reaches Bench Lake after .75 mile, then continues another .5 mile to Snow Lake. Most years these lakes do not melt out until late July and the trail can be muddy until then.. In mid-summer, this area explodes with a variety of wildflowers and an abundance of bear grass. In the fall, mountain ash and huckleberries color the scene. Quite visible is a silver forest of trees which remain from a past fire. Expect good views of Mount Rainier on clear days. There is always a chance of seeing black bears as well.”
Maybe next time. 🙂
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Terrific photos and what a gorgeous hike in nature!
Thanks, John! It was a perfect hike! 🙂
Those are good, manageable paths in magnificent scenery. I am envious, Susanne.
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes indeed, Pete. A mostly easy hike (just steep in a few spots) with wonderful scenery as the payoff! And few people on the trail since we were early in the day.
Snow Lake looks like it was definitely the right route to take at that fork in the trails. Beautiful shots!
Thanks so much! I’m definitely glad we kept going!
With beauty like that, I’d be stopping every 10 steps to take photos. I’d never finish the hike 😀 😀
Indeed! Oh, the pictures you’d take! 😀😀
It all sounds enticing…except the bears.
I’ve never actually seen a bear on the trail when hiking.. hope I never do!
Looks like a great hike and a lovely sunny day. The lakes are just beautiful.
Thank you.. It was a perfect day for a hike and since we woke up on the mountain we got to the trailhead early so no crowds.
Glad you avoided those bears! Lovely pictures as usual!! 😻
Thank you! 🙂
💚
Beautiful! What were the temps like when you were there?
Thank you! It was a couple weeks ago and the weather was perfect. Mid 70’s, low 80’s.
What a beautiful walk in Paradise! I think I’ve said this before, but you are so lucky to live near this amazing place!
Thanks so much, Sarah! I do appreciate having the mountain in my backyard and never tire of visiting! 🙂
Amazing photography as ususal😀A friend of mine saw a bear on a hike near Yosemite a few weeks ago. 😬 She got some good pictures, but it doesn’t sound like something I’d want to do either. 🐻
Wow! I’ve seen bears in the wild many times but usually from the car at a safe distance. I think I’d freak out if I saw one on the trail, though they usually turn and run away, as they don’t want to see humans, either!