These beautiful lakes are nestled in a green bowl beneath high, craggy peaks. You might encounter a few elk, maybe a mountain goat or two, and possibly even a black bear. The latter is especially likely in late summer when the plethora of purple fruit--succulent huckleberries!--ripens up. That's all you'll find here. If you need more natural beauty, you're out of luck. You won't find many trails that offer wilderness like this.

The trail climbs steeply away from the highway, piercing dense old forest as it climbs. That's a good thing, since the tight forest canopy provides welcome shade as you sweat up a long series of switchbacks in the first 1.5 miles. At that point, the trail splits; the right fork leads to Crystal Peak.

Go left on a trail that sweeps out across a broad avalanche slope before switching back to recross the slide zone, then angling up into the Crystal Creek valley. At 2.5 miles, after another short series of switchbacks, you find yourself at Lower Crystal Lake Camp (5400). The small tarn here is pretty but not spectacular. Better to keep on moving.

A short 0.5 mile gets you to the upper lake (5828 feet) and its bigger backcountry camp. Here, you have a broad, clear-watered lake and stunning views. Mount Rainier is blocked by Crystal Peak, but that's okay. The ring of rock surrounding the lake basin is plenty impressive. Stands of trees dot the heather and huckleberry meadows flanking the lake, and high above the basin stands The Throne, Crystal Mountain, Threeway Peak, Sourdough Gap, and Crystal Peak. The trail ends at the lake, so stop to swim or at least to soak your feet while enjoying lunch before heading back down the trail.