Ancient Lakes: Easy spring backpacking in Washington

Ancient lakes is a lesser known treasure in Washington state. I discovered this area by seeing a recent picture on a local hiking group. It had been five months since I put on my back and camped under the stars, I was ready for the next adventure and the weather window was looking perfect.

One of my favorite parts of living in Washington is that although it may be raining in one area, if you’re willing to drive farther out you may find some good weather. So that’s exactly what we did- we headed east over the cascades and arrived in Quincy, Washington – south of Wenatchee. Luckily for us, weather had been relatively warmer leaving Snoqualmie Pass clear.

Parking: There are multiple ways to get to the trail head. Its important to keep in mind that not all parking lots allow for overnight stays. We started from the “Ancient Lakes Trailhead” on AllTrails. NOT “Ancient Lakes Trail via Judith Pool” as this is for day use only. All entrances require a Discover pass. You can buy one HERE.

Amenities: There are two porta-potties at the trail head, but no established bathrooms or amenities at the basin. It’s important to carry in all the water you will need for your stay. Unfortunately, a water filter will not suffice as the lakes are likely contaminated with farm-fertilizer run off and not safe to drink. I would not count on cellphone service here, although we did catch some spotty signals at times.

NOTE: You are able to swim and fish at the lakes. These are popular summer activities, but again – the water is likely contaminated, so do so at your own risk.

The experience: We went on a Sunday to Monday, so I wasn’t expecting many people to be there end of March. I had read there were plenty of camping spots, so we arrived at the trail head about 4pm. We finished securing all our items and headed two miles down relatively flat terrain to the lakes. We only saw one biker during our hike in!

The trail is well defined. As you approach the basin, there are several less-defined trails to get up and down various mounds and camp sites. We chose a spot with a good campfire ring, between the two lakes on top of the mound so that we could easily see sunrise and sunset. It took us about 45 minutes to arrive, leaving us about two hours until sunset.

There were two tents when we arrived and a plethora of wide open space. The dogs were able to chase each other and play ball at our campsite without disrupting other visitors.

NOTE: You should carry in your wood, you will likely not find enough wood to make a fire here.

Growing up in Michigan, fire bans weren’t something I was used to. To me, camping always meant campfires. I was more than happy to carry in some wood to experience this again!

This spot is a great change of pace from the green, lush, wet trails Washington is known for. I felt like I was in the stunning desert of Arizona. I loved this site so much, it’s now my goal to return every year!

Might this be the perfect spot for beginners?

Although I’m fairly versed in camping and backpacking, my friend had done neither! This trail was short and relatively flat. It’s the perfect way to try out some gear, carry in heavier items (like wood) and figure out what you actually need while staying in the back country. Not to mention, this is a easy trail with high payoff views!

Drop a comment if you check out this spot or if you have any other questions!