Ancient Lakes
Waterfalls not spectacular
45 reports
Central Washington
Dusty Lake is reported to be dry in places with dusty trails as of November 7, though some waterfalls are still flowing, including the main one. The road is suitable for all vehicles and there are no reported bugs. The trail is described as wide and suitable for children and dogs. Agricultural runoff is present, so drinking water from the lake is not recommended if camping.
Generated from 11 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 3 days ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
The trail is described as wide and generally in good condition. One report from September 6 mentions scree that was often made up of thin, flat rocks which threatened to cause slipping during a scramble, but this was not mentioned in a more recent report from November 7.
As of November 7, the waterfalls are reported to be pretty dry but still flowing, with the big one still active. This is consistent with a report from September 6 noting that the waterfalls were not particularly spectacular due to lack of rain.
Yes, the road to the trailhead is reported to be suitable for all vehicles as of November 7. This condition was also noted in a previous report from September 6.
If you plan to camp, it is advised not to drink the water from Dusty Lake due to a lot of agricultural runoff. This information was noted in a report from November 7.
Waterfalls not spectacular
45 reports
Impressive views and unique rock formations
11 reports
Gold needles coat the ground now
Wenatchee · 12 this month · 38 reports
Fall colors are beautiful on the hillsides
Yakima · 2 this month · 41 reports
Steep, rocky trail, windy, great sunrise views
Yakima · 2 this month · 17 reports
Fall colors starting to appear, check trail end
Yakima · 2 this month · 12 reports
Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Great short hike! The lower trailhead is pretty flat, about two miles to a few ponds/lakes with the waterfalls. Pretty dry right now but there was still a few waterfalls and the big one flowing. Would...
I started at 7:50am at Lower Ancient Lakes Trailhead. My intention was to follow the AllTrails Dusty Lake and Ancient Lakes route of 8.4 miles and 574ft elevation. That massive basalt bluff separating...
This used to be our favorite place to come hike and fish in the shoulder seasons. Very few people, pristine land and lakes. Clearly word has gotten out about the Quincy Lakes because every time we com...
The trail running alongside the north edge of Dusty Lake is covered by a rock slide. Significant scrambling is required.Still a very beautiful trail!!
Conditions: Excellent — dry trail, no mudHike Summary:Our group headed out to Ancient Lakes today for what turned out to be a spectacular early March day. Despite forecasts calling for 20+ mph gusts, ...
Cloudy winter day, a brisk 32 degrees at about 10am. One other car in the lot, bummed to find the the gate locked adding 3 miles of road walk to our planned hike. Still completely worth the bit of ban...
Muddy in places.
I have hiked to Ancient Lakes before and this time I wanted to go "behind" the cliff and see Dusty Lake. The access road (last few miles) is dirt and gravel, but not too bad for driving if you take it...
Took advantage of a clear weather window to take the 4-yo on our first lil backpack of the year. We aimed for Dusty Lake, since I figured we’d have more company at Ancient Lakes.Trails were good, a li...
Hiked to Dusty Lake on Friday, November 15, 2024. Trail is in great shape. Nice Fall hike. Only met two mountain bike riders on the trail. Beautiful sunset and some fading color around the lake.