- 100 Classic Hikes of Washington
Esmeralda Basin: 100 Classic Hike of Washington
Situated in some of the most pristine wilderness of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is Esmeralda Basin. Esmeralda Basin, known for striking displays of wildflowers contrasted against the rugged Esmeralda Peaks, is a loop trail that can be completed as a day hike or overnight.
But when this trail truly shines is in the first two weeks of October when the larches are at their golden peak.
Included in this blog post is an overview of the trail, if the trail should be included as a classic hike of Washington, and options for post hike activities!
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Complete Trail Guide to Esmeralda Basin
As one of the more overlooked trails in the area, you can be certain that your time on Esmeralda Basin will be lacking in crowds. However, you will have to fight for a parking spot since the trailhead shares a parking lot with Lake Ingalls.
With gorgeous mountain vistas, spectacular wildflower displays, and shimmering water features, this trail has everything you’re looking for in a Pacific Northwest hike.
Keep reading if you want to know more about this spectacular trail!
General Trail Information
Region: Snoqualmie
Distance: 7.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,750 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: ~4 hours, Day Hike
When to Go: July – November
Pass/Permit?: Northwest Forest Pass
Dogs Allowed?: Yes – On Leash
Esmeralda Basin Location
Esmeralda trailhead is located on the ancestral lands of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Wenatchi, Yakima and Confederate Tribes of Colville Tribes. We are grateful for the stewards of this land past and present. We are honored to be and recognize that we are guests on this land.
Getting to Esmeralda Basin Trailhead
Esmeralda Basin is located 2.5 hours east of Seattle, WA. The trailhead is off of the same service road of an extremely popular trail for viewing larches and Lake Ingalls.
While most of the drive is easy driving along paved roads, the last ten miles of the drive on Forest Service Road 9737 is unpaved. The road has been in great condition without major potholes. The parking lot of the trailhead for Esmeralda Basin has plenty of parking and a privy for people to use the restroom before hitting the trail.
If there is not a parking spot, you will have to park along the west side of the road.
Pass/Permit
The permit required for Esmeralda Basin Trail is the Northwest Forest Pass. This pass has a $30 annual fee and provides access to all National Forests in Washington and Oregon.
Since a National Forest Pass is required for this trail, be sure to leave the pass in your windshield!
You can purchase a National Forest Pass here.
season to visit
While you cannot go wrong hiking this trail any time it is free of snow, there are two main periods when this trail is at its peak beauty: wildflower season and larch season.
Wildflowers: If seeing wildflowers is your desired view for this trail, early July typically has the best display.
Larches: If you want to see the golden larches of the PNW, you will want to complete this trail in early October.
Hiking Esmeralda Basin
Esmeralda Basin is a loop trail that passes by some of the most scenic vantage points in the area.
Begin the loop trail by heading North East on the Esmeralda Basin Trail. The trail runs parallel to the North Fork Teanaway River and Road. Walking along the river, glimpses of the Esmeralda Peaks tower above the valley. These peaks will be central to the entire hike as the loop leads hikers around the mountain.
Just 0.3 miles from the trailhead, hikers will reach a junction that meets up with “100 Classic Hike of Washington” Lake Ingalls. Take the trail to the left to remain on the Esmeralda Basin Trail.
During the larch season, the trailhead to Lake Ingalls can be backed up with cars even before dawn. If you’re open to extending your hike to Lake Ingalls, which is already 9.0 miles, parking at Esmeralda Basin provides better views than walking past a line of cars.
Past the Lake Ingalls Trailhead is a small valley of creek crossings, blooming flowers, and a soft wetland. Don’t take this area for granted, because it will be the last flat area of the trail for a significant amount of time. A series of switchbacks provides increasingly impressive views of the peaks with each change in direction.
These switchbacks will lead to Fortune Pass which has arguably the best views on the entire trail. After hiking for nearly two hours, the trek up to Fortune Pass is the first time I saw another set of hikers on the trail. Fortunes Peak is completely exposed. Wearing sun protection is imperative on this trail to mitigate the direct impact of the sun. While hiking this trail, I wore my favorite sun shirt from REI.
Read this next: Ten Essentials of Hiking
I reached Fortune Pass at around 1 PM which was a perfect time to find some shade and eat lunch. It was a spectacular 360 view of the surrounding area. I also used this time to have a small photoshoot of my Fremont Summer Pale Ale because at the time they were having a summit beer photo contest…I didn’t win.
The trail after Fortune Creek Pass opens into an expansive valley. Be sure to stay to the left because the Country Line Trail heads off to Lake Ann trail. While Lake Ann is a BREATHTAKING trail, that is not on today’s trail agenda!
The hike down the far side of Fortune Pass is rough. In high heat and on a steep, rocky trail, this section feels like the most brutal section of the entire trail. But before long, the trail descends down back into forest and shade is welcomed with open arms.
Unfortunately, the section of trail that connects Fortune Pass to Gallagher Head Lake is a 4×4 forest road. While this is great for off-road vehicle recreators, as a hiker a little moody from the sun, that continuous flow of traffic was bothersome. There were dirt bikes that cut corners a little too close for comfort and lines of off-road groups that slowly worked their way through this section of trail.
Be aware of your surroundings when on jeep road and keep to the side of the trail.
Gallagher Head Lake offers the first sites available for overnight camping along this trail. This also marks the halfway point for the trail. This was another great resting point. This is also an area where I did hear people shooting targets in the distance. In National Forests this is allowed unless there is a current restriction. It is imperative as a hiker to be aware of the regulations in the area and stick to the maintained trail.
Hiking past Gallagher Head Lake down to De Roux Creek is where the wildflowers of Washington truly shine. The pockets of grass in between the forest were filled with wildflowers. This is what I would consider to be the start of the final push to complete the trail.
At ten miles into the trail, a series of steep heavily wooded switchbacks lead hikers back into the valley. These switchbacks seemed to add up in miles headed back down into the valley. Before long, I was back next to De Roux Creek taking a quick break with a little under two miles left to go.
There was a bridge crossing here pointing towards the last home stretch. After 12.0 miles of continuous hiking, the view of the car was a glorious site.
Should Esmeralda Basin be a Classic Hike of Washington?
Should Esmeralda Basin be a 100 Classic Hike of Washington? This is an especially important question because Esmeralda Basin is flagged as a legacy hike. A legacy hike is a hike that was included in the first edition of “100 Classic Hikes of Washington” by Harvey Manning and Ira Springs. Only 50 of the original classic hikes remain in the 3rd Edition that I am using for this series.
When reflecting on the entirety of this hike, I would not consider this hike to be a 100 Classic Hike of Washington. Here is why…
After Fortune Pass the views are lacking. If the pinnacle of the hike, Fortune Pass, was the end, I think there could be an argument for Esmeralda Basin maintaining its Classic Hike AND Legacy Hike status.
However, the 4×4 shared road which was ultimately 2.0 miles of the trail removed a lot of the luster from the trail. While sharing the road with vehicles is ultimately not a deal breaker for me on an average hike, this is a Classic Hike! This is a legacy hike!
Check out one of my FAVORITE Classic Hikes Here: Steamboat Rock
I also found Gallagher Lake to be lacking. With the Alpine Lakes Wilderness so close to the area which contains one of the most coveted backpacking trips in the state, The Enchantments, it did little for me other than provide a place to rest and catch a second wind.
What does this mean if I believe a hike should NOT be a 100 Classic Hike of Washington?
Well, I propose an alternative. In this case, I definitely believe that Fortune Pass should be considered a classic hike. The views are epic and tantalizing. An easy “fix” is to remove Esmeralda Basin and add Fortune Pass.
Straying away from the hike entirely, an alternative suggestion would be to include Eightmile Lake. Eightmile Lake is a fabulous moderate hike in the area that offers spectacular views as hikers walk through a valley between mountain rangers leading to a beautiful lake.
What to do after your hike:
After completing this hike, rest is a must! But some great places to hike in the area include Lake Ingalls, Eightmile Lake, and Navaho Peak.
Lake Ingalls
Lake Ingalls is a spectacular lake that is connected to the the Esmeralda Basin Trail. It is an 8.5 mile out and back with 3,000 ft gain. The Ingalls Way trail branches off from Long’s Pass, so keep to the left to get to Ingalls lake.
Eightmile Lake
Tucked in a valley this stunning lake is a great 7.4 mile out and back with 1,500 ft of gain. I love eightmile lake trail so much because it is not as busy as some of the other popular trails nearby. This is one of my favorite hiking adventures as you weave through the canyon.
Navaho Peak
Navaho Peak is a challenging but exceedingly rewarding out & back hike in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Sometimes completed as a backpacking route, this 13.0 mile 4,150 ft gain trail will take your breathe away after some big switchback ascents!
Dru Bru
Any beer after hiking a trail this long is refreshing, but Dru Bru is one of my FAVORITES. There are two locations on my way home to Seattle and I am hard pressed not to stop at both of them.
Pack it Up
There are some incredible trails near Cle Elum, WA, Esmeralda Basin being one of them!
My suggestion? Go car camping the night before along Teanaway rd. so you can get an early start on the trail.
Always check the weather conditions before heading out and get up-to-date trail reports on the Washington Trails Association website.
Meet the Author -
Sarah Borgen
I am an Educator and outdoor Enthusiast based out of Seattle and writer of Exploren Borgen! My adventures consist of weekends spent in the woods, on a hike, car camping, and taking a deep breath of fresh air. When not on an adventure, you can find me in a classroom teaching high school science! I love having a job that allows me to the opportunity to discuss things like conservation, sustainability, and accessibility.
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Meet the author
Sarah Borgen, AKA your outdoor bestie
I’m an outdoorsy educator and adventure advocate, which is why I’m passionate about creating resources – like blogs, guides, and interactive maps – to simplify your travels. I’m eager to share some of Washington’s greatest destinations and hidden gems with you.
