Got to the trailhead around 11am, less than 10 other cars in the parking lot. I think this typically high traffic trail is seeing a lot fewer visitors due to 410 still being closed.

It was a cold and misty fall day, sadly no views. We only encountered about 6 other small groups on the trail, and we had both lakes to ourselves the whole time we were there! No snow or ice yet!

It can be a little challenging to find the beginning of the trail to Dewey Lake, having a GPS map was very helpful! You hike on the Naches Loop Trail (counter clockwise from the parking lot) for about .5 of a mile before crossing the main road and finally starting the trail.

Nice side trip off of Naches Peak Loop

Rating:  4 of 5 stars for Dewey Lake
Rating:  5 of 5 stars for Naches Loop
My opinions:  The Naches Loop hike (which is the beginning and end of the Dewey Lake hike) is wonderful hike with blue berries.  This hike is a great hike, even with smoke covering Mt Rainier.
Although the views of many of the mountains are under smoke, the views of the lake are not under smoke.
Even with the smoke, it was nice being able to walk to Dewey Lake and see the nice lakes along the PCT.  There are very few wild flowers on the hike.  There are blueberries on the way down to Dewey Lake, and along some parts of Naches Peak Loop. 
Parking & Road Conditions:  For any car. Easy to get to.  We got to the lot at about 1 pm and there was plenty of parking (on a Friday) at the Tipsoo Lake parking lot.
Snow:  None.
Trail & trail conditions:  Overall – Great.
We followed the All Trails app to the end of the path next to Dewey Lake and a little beyond where the PCT came in.  We hiked clockwise.  No views of Mt Rainier in the afternoon.  But the sky cleared up and we saw Mt Rainier during sunset.
Bugs:  Not too bad.  Just a few.
Time: This trail took two 62 years olds about 7 hours, including a dip in Dewey Lake and stopping at least 30 minutes for picking blueberries.
Views:  Nice lake views—smoke did not ruin the lake views.  Some , but not all mountain views were covered with smoke.  However, we could see Mt Rainier at sunset.
Flowers & Berries:  Very few wildflowers.  Many blue berries.
Food:  In Enumclaw, we ate at the Historic Mint Restaurant & Alehouse (The Mint).  Very yummy hamburgers.  Their salad dressings were incredible too!  And they served food until 10 pm!

After a week in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness my buddy Jeno and I returned to Mt Rainier this morning for an order of Naches (Peak) and a side of Dewey (Lakes).  We arrived at the Tipsoo Lake parking area at 6:00AM.  The sky was just getting light as we started out heading clockwise on the Naches Peak trail.   The bathrooms were open and stocked with TP but not very clean.

Right as we approached Highway 410 to cross the bridge Jeno hollered out "look!"   We had bisected a small herd of deer which was really cool.  The way they looked at us and split up with some passing us and others waiting for us to go by.  It was a really neat way to start the hike.   On the drive down we had discussed if we would see any PCT thru hikers on the trail and we did within the first 15 minutes.   We ended up chatting with Assassin, so named because she slices up the miles.   She was the first of 5 thru hikers we saw today.  We ended up talking to three other ones, Chipmunk, Floss and Footglove (the latter two a married couple).  It was interesting to ask them about their journeys this year and how close they all are to finishing.  Best of luck to all of you on your journeys north this month. 

We ended up making the side trip on the PCT down to Dewey Lakes (plural as there are two lakes) and spent some time at a campsite I had stayed at years ago and also talked a lot to Chipmunk who was on his way north.   After a refreshing break we headed back up the PCT to continue on the Naches Peak loop trail.  For such a popular hike we were really surprised to only see 3 other hikers this morning.  So 8 total counting the PCT thru hikers.  

I would highly recommend going clockwise on the Naches Peak loop as you have Mt Rainier in front of you heading back to the parking area near Tipsoo Lake.   As you head west on the trail the views to the south open up as well so you can see Mt Adams, Mt St Helens and even the lookout tower atop Shriner Peak.  

We arrived back to the half full parking lot at Tipsoo Lake around 10:00 AM so it took us about four hours including the Dewey Lakes trip.  For the first time this year on one of excursions to the eastside of Mt Rainier we did hit road work (we've been lucky so far this year) on the drive home just past the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.  We were stopped about 10 minutes so that wasn't too bad.

Stay safe everyone.  See you on the trail.  SR   

Day 1: Parking at Chinook Pass at 10AM on a Saturday morning was quite challenging, with lots of vehicles circling, looking for a spot. The PCT from the pass to the fork to Tipsoo Lake was crowded with lots of hikers moving at various speeds. Fewer hikers were present on the decent to Dewey Lake, which was a swimmable 61.5˚F. 

Past Dewey Lake to Anderson Lake (64.4˚F) the crowds of day-trippers disappear. The trail is in excellent condition, with wild huckleberries ripe and ready for the picking along the way. Crag Lake, where three groups were camped overnight, was 65.4˚F. 

Day 2: The descent to Bumping River is long and gradual, with lots of campsites at the crossing.  Further south, lots of lakes line the trail including: Snow Lake (65.1˚F), Jess Lake (66.2˚F), Sand Lake (62.2˚F) and Deer Lake (72.3˚F). 

Trip total 29.1 miles with 8,036 feet of up and down.