I’ve been wanting to do the Summit Lake Trail for a while but I’ve been reluctant to do it because 1) I don’t have a high clearance vehicle and the road to the trailhead is notoriously known to be pretty damn rough and 2) I never could find the right time to do this trail due to how popular it is (and it still was when I went up there on a sunny Saturday morning). But I feel like I couldn’t put off doing this trail anymore, especially after I bought a Kokopelli packraft. The intention of making such a purchase was to be able to pack it up to an alpine lake.

Getting to the trailhead

The Summit Lake trail is located in the Carbon River area of Mount Rainier National Park but it is not technically part of the national park. The road comes to a junction - the right goes up to Mowich Lake and the left takes you up to the Summit Lake trailhead. The road was super straightforward but it didn’t necessarily seem like it would be an easy drive. I’d highly recommend a high-clearance vehicle for this drive because I don’t think your sedan wouldn’t make it, it is because you’d be doing everyone else a favor by not getting stuck on the road. The road is extremely narrow which makes it very difficult for two vehicles to fit comfortably when they are side by side.

But of course, I did see a few sedans parked at the trailhead. It won’t be the classic PNW hike until we see a few Prius’ parked at the trailhead, am I right?

Another thing to note is please avoid double parking on both sides of the road. The trail is narrow enough. I wish I took pictures of what the situation looked like but this isn’t the point of the blog post. When driving up to the trailhead, you are essentially driving along a ridge and there really isn’t enough space to give way to another car. My friend, who was the driver, had to 0.3 miles just to make enough room for oncoming traffic. Even the ranger we saw on our hike back to the car said he hates driving up the road - for good reasons.

Side note - there is no bathroom at the trailhead but there is one at the Carbon River Ranger Station on the way to the trailhead. I recommend planning that bathroom break accordingly. If you really do have to go - please pack it out or bury your toilet paper! I saw tons of TP just scattered in the area right behind the trail bulletin board. Not a fantastic scene!

I know how ridiculous my pack looks - this ended up weighing about 44 lbs - it was a lot!

The hike

The trail itself is very straightforward and well-maintained. You absolutely will not get lost on this trail if you follow the billions of people that happen to also be heading up to Summit Lake because there is only one destination for the trail. The trail is well marked. If it doesn’t look like a trail, then it is not a trail so don’t try to take a shortcut route up.

The climb was pretty gradual so I would rate this hike as easy and moderate. I labeled it as moderate because I decided to take my packraft and paddles up to the lake for a nice time on the water. I would say this trail is both popular for day hikers and backpackers. A lot of people climb up to the ridge to watch sunrise and sunset. But there are also a lot of beginner backpackers that would make this their first hike. Little effort with a huge payoff at the end. If you’re day hiking or have a lighter pack, I would say you could easily get to the lake in 1.5 to 2 hours.

There was a map before we hit the lake that showed the number of campsites available in the area. I can imagine this area being overpopulated but most people were camping in designated campsites. When searching for a campsite, always make sure you are not camping on vegetation. Always prioritize established campsites instead of making one for yourself. We found one that’s somewhat close to the lake. We didn’t venture out further because we thought we got to the lake pretty late (around 3 or 4pm I believe). We didn’t want to risk losing the spot and there wasn’t really a way to communicate with my friend if he did decide to scout out for a better spot.

After setting up camp, we decided to head to the lake for some paddling. The great thing about the Kokopelli packraft is how quick and easy it is to inflate it. Did I also mention that the raft itself weighs about 6 pounds? The paddles do add 2 pounds to my overall pack weight but tons of people were envious that I was backpacking and had a packraft with me. I did see other folks that brought their paddleboards up. The lake itself really isn’t that big - it only took me 20 minutes to paddle from one end to the other. Aside from being a little hazy, it was the perfect spot to relax on the water and also get a glimpse of Mount Rainier whenever my packraft decided to not drift in all various directions.

My friend relaxed on the side of the lake for a little more and then we went back to camp to make some dinner. We decided to not climb up to the ridge for a better view - I guess that was the biggest regret I had. We did climb up to the ridge the next morning but we both thought it would’ve been better if we did it as a short sunset hike. The hike from my camp to the ridge was about 0.7 miles - you can opt in to continue further, which would eventually take you back to the main trail with the signs for the campsites, or you could backtrack and just head back to the main camping area.

We did sit by the lake and watch sunset - sunsets on the mountains do hit a little differently. As the colors gradually change into violent shades of reds, oranges, and purples, and the alpine glow that blanketed the top of Mount Rainier - this was a constant reminder of why I always want to spend time in the outdoors. There is simply no place more relaxing than being out in nature and witnessing such a magical moment.

The classic view on the ridge overlooking Mount Rainier and Summit Lake

Campsites

There is a map that outlines all the campsites available around the lake. If you're lucky, you can even get up to the ridge and have the best view overlooking Mount Rainier but expect to share the space with lots of day hikers that are just spending the day/night there to watch sunrise or sunset.

There are signs that clearly certain areas are closed off to foot traffic. Read the signs and stay off the meadows and those areas.

There are not a whole lot of spots for easy access to the lake but you will find them. There is a rocky beach area east of the lake but it does require a pretty steep climb from the main trail. Trek with caution and you'll be fine.

Overall, I had a good experience. I've been avoiding this trail for a reason due to not having a high clearance vehicle and the popularity of this hike but I finally made my way up here because I wanted an easy/moderate hike to take my packraft. Everyone definitely stopped by and were envious of taking a watercraft up to this amazing alpine lake. I saw one other guy that brought his 40lbs paddleboard so anything is possible!

Bugs were annoying but not relentless. A little bug spray goes a long way so don't forget that. Trail is dry-ish until you reach the lake but when you make it up there, you will have plenty of water.

Just remember - if you are spending the night here, no campfires and remember to always pack it in, pack it out!

Stats from Gaia:

Distance: 7.17 miles (includes hiking up/down the ridge)
Elevation Gain: 1344 feet
Time: 3 hours 14 minutes