Neature
Lake · North Cascades National Park

Copper Lake

21.8 mi round trip6,624 ft gainVery hardDay hike: No permitOvernight: Reservation
Get alerts for this hike

Permits and reservations

Day hikeNo permit
Day hikes in the national park need no permit or reservation.
OvernightReservation
Every overnight stay needs a wilderness permit, year-round. Reserve on Recreation.gov or walk up in Marblemount.

Permit calendar

Early-access lotteryEarly March
Winners bookLate March to April
General reservationsLate April
Walk-up permitsMid-May to early October

North Cascades National Park rules from the National Park Service. Exact dates are set each year; past years followed this pattern. Always confirm with the land manager before you go.

About the trail

Distance21.8 miRound trip, out and back
Elevation gain6,624 ftTotal climb, round trip
Lake elevation6,237 ftFrom elevation data

Overview

Copper Lake is a lake reached by a 21.8-mile round trip from Hannegan Trailhead. The route follows Hannegan Pass Trail, then Copper Ridge Trail to the shore.

Photos from hikers

Loading photos…

What you need

Parking and passes

Forest Service trailhead: display a Northwest Forest Pass or an interagency pass (America the Beautiful).

Buy a Northwest Forest Pass

Getting there

The hike starts at Hannegan Trailhead. Save directions offline before you leave, since mountain roads often lose cell service.

Conditions

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for this spot…

Full forecast at weather.gov