Lake of the Hanging Glacier Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall

Lake of the Hanging Glacier Trail starts at a parking area at the end of Horsethief Creek Forest Service Road. Despite the long forest service road drive, this is a popular trail for day hikes.

Entering the beautiful fir forest, the trail climbs above Horsethief Creek. Enjoying a flat stretch in the forest, the trail then veers away from the creek for about a half mile, before returning back to run along the banks of the creek briefly. At the 1.0 mile mark, the trail again veers away from Horsethief Creek, to climb steeply to Hell Roaring Creek and cross it at the 1.5 mile mark. After crossing Hell Roaring Creek, the trail returns to Horsethief Creek and crosses it on an amazing metal bridge at the 1.9 mile mark. The trail then follows Horsethief Creek upstream for a little over a half mile.

At the 2.5 mile mark, the trail veers left/southeast to leave Horsethief Creek and come to a smaller creek that empties into Horsethief Creek. This smaller creek is the Lake of the Hanging Glacier outlet creek. The trail follows the lake's outlet creek upstream to eventually arrive at the lake.

The initial mile following the lake's outlet creek is a steep forested climb, with some switchbacks to help the climb. Throughout this climb the creek can be seen cascading down. The climb then eases and the trail slowly emerges from the forest into alpine meadows. A lovely trail camp is passed on the right/west at the 4.3 mile mark. Ahead, there is another rise with a neat waterfall flowing down it. Cresting the rise, The Lieutenants, the mountains behind Lake of the Hanging Glacier, begin to appear. At the top of the rise, a large talus field is crossed to finally reach Lake of the Hanging Glacier, a very pretty, large glacial lake. Several small glaciers flow down from the Lieutenants toward the lake, the largest being Jumbo Glacier.

Mature fir forest for most of the trail. Near Lake of the Hanging Glacier the trail runs through alpine meadows and talus for a short ways.