I arrived from Seattle a little before 10:30 (after a mandatory stop at the Mazama Store to pick up a baguette and artichoke dip). There were a lot of cars already at the TH, but it was easy to find parking along the road. There are a couple stream crossings that require a little log hopping, but otherwise there is nothing of note about trail conditions.
The fall colors through most of the burn zone are nice, and there’s a section of fireweed that was taller than me. The highlight is reaching the crest above the lake and seeing its electric blue surrounded by all the golden larches and jagged peaks. Larches looked to be almost at peak. This weather window is the time to go!
When I arrived at 12;30, both obvious campsites near the lake had been taken. There were two groups searching for camps as I left the lake, and I saw several other groups of backpackers heading up as I was going down.
#HikeTheState
Comments
Maddy on Copper Glance Lake
Stunning photos. Glad to see that the air quality was excellent. That's a long drive for a day hike. Did you take hwy 20? At least the drive is very scenic.
Posted by:
Maddy on Oct 05, 2025 07:42 AM
Seattle-Amy on Copper Glance Lake
Thanks! I always do a long larch weekend where I stay in Winthrop and do a couple of the less traveled larch hikes over there and then hit one of the more popular highway 20 hikes on my way home on Monday. Works out pretty well. Today I did a 17 mile loop and only saw about 25 people (almost all of them on a short stretch in the 4-ish miles of a popular trail included in my loop).
Posted by:
Seattle-Amy on Oct 05, 2025 08:11 PM