Worth the Hike: Lake Lena - Olympic Peninsula

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a backpacking trip, and so I went for a shorter one knowing I’m a bit out of shape. I chose Lake Lena out on the peninsula as I haven’t done many hikes out that way. Lake Lena is 7.2 miles round trip, so I’d only have to hike 3.6 miles in, camp, and then hike out. Pretty simple.

I suspected it might be tougher than it sounds as it does advertise a 1300’ elevation gain over those 7.2 miles, and I turned out to be right. About 1000’ of that starts right after you exit the parking lot. As out of shape as I was, I had to stop a half dozen times to catch my breath and slow my heartbeat, but my buddy Nick who hasn’t hiked in years was doing fine. All the cardio he’s been doing at the gym really paid off.

Nick also hasn’t backpacked in over 20 years and so I gave him some guidance on what to bring and convinced him to use a hammock instead of tent camp. Hammocks tend to be lighter weight and double as a place to sit when you need to just relax for a moment.

It took us almost two hours to reach the overview. We found a good place to sit and take in the view while also grabbing lunch. It was an incredible sight!

After consuming our apples and sandwiches we moved on and went to look for a place to set up camp. It was a busy weekend and all of the early campsites were already taken by families of all ages. Splashing and laughter could be heard as we continued down the trail.

About a quarter mile later the path diverged with one route continuing on to Upper Lena Lake and another descending down to the river that feeds Lena Lake. We found a good crossing point and continued on. The shores here were also full of tent campers making the most of the sunny weekend, but it didn’t take long until we found the perfect hammocking spot.

I quickly taught Nick how to set up a hammock and then set up my own. Our spot was pretty far away from all the tent campers, and in a location with no flat ground making it a hammock only location. Even better, we found a perfect sitting log right nearby that let us look down about the lake later that night as we ate dinner.

We relaxed for a bit and then made our way down to the lake and discovered that the water was a fantastic temperature. Just a little colder than a pool might be, but not so cold as to dissuade you from swimming, and so we spent the next two hours swimming, and eventually jumping off a rock on the north end of the lake. The water on the south side of the rock was about 6’-7’ deep and so it was safe, fun, and a great experience out in the middle of nowhere. I would encourage you, if you find the rock I’m talking about, to check the depth first. We went in the middle of July and I would expect the lake water levels to drop over the coming months as the heat waves come.

After all the hiking and swimming, I laid down in my hammock and got the best night’s sleep I’ve ever gotten in the backcountry.

We explored around the area and found signs leading up the The Brothers peaks and plenty more camping spots, some that didn’t even get taken as more people came in that night to camp. There were probably 100 people around the lake, and still quite a few unclaimed camp spots.

Both the trailhead and Lake Lena have bathrooms on site. The one at the lake is a pit toilet, but they also have a composting toilet with signs saying it’s out of service. The pit toilet was in good condition.

All in all, this was a fantastic hike. I hope to come back in the future and use Lake Lena as a base camp to hike Upper Lena Lake as I’ve heard several people say it’s even more beautiful.

I highly recommend this hike to hikers of all skills! Try to make it out sometime between June and September for the best weather, and know that the first hour uphill will be the worst of it. After that, it’s relatively flat as you make your way towards the lake, swimming, and great views!

LAKE LENA

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James works for a local Everett-based company and enjoys board games, hiking, and food. You can find him playing Kubb at a local park or getting lost in the woods.