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3	Lena Lakes

	RATINGS	Scenery 9 Difficulty 4–8 Solitude 2
	ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE	6.2 miles to Lena Lake; 14.4 miles to Upper Lena Lake
	ELEVATION GAIN	1,350' to Lena Lake; 3,900' to Upper Lena Lake
	OPTIONAL MAP	Green Trails The Brothers (No. 168)
	USUALLY OPEN	April–November for Lena Lake; July–October for Upper Lena Lake
	BEST TIME	Anytime it’s open
	AGENCY	Hood Canal Ranger District (Olympic National Forest), 360-765-2200, fs.usda.gov/recarea/ olympic/recreation/ recarea/?recid=47691; Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, 360-565-3130, nps.gov/olym
	PERMIT	National Park Service permit required for camping at Upper Lena Lake; it’s a quota area, so reservations are required May–September; to request a reservation, email olym_wic_reservations@nps.gov as early as February 15. (Note: Olympic National Park is considering a new system for handling reservation requests, so check its website when planning your trip.) Permits are $8 per person per night; contact the park’s wilderness information center for permits. Northwest Forest Pass required. No fires allowed above 3,500'.

Highlights

This trip gives you a choice: For an easier hike, follow the popular trail to attractive Lena Lake, a lower-elevation destination that is open most of the year. For more dramatic scenery, continue on a rougher trail into the high country to spectacular Upper Lena Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Olympic Mountains. Hikers with children younger than teenagers should stop at Lena Lake.

Getting There

Drive 110 miles north of Portland on I-5 to Olympia and take Exit 104 for US 101. After 6 miles take Exit 101 to stay on US 101, and then drive 43.8 miles to a junction with paved Hamma Hamma Road near milepost 318. Turn left (west), drive 6.5 miles to a T-junction, turn right, and then go another 1.3 miles to the well-signed Lena Lake Trailhead.

GPS COORDINATES N47° 35.991' W123° 09.181'

Hiking It

The wide, heavily traveled, and gently graded trail soon leaves the river-bottom environment dominated by moss-draped big-leaf maples and gradually ascends a tangled forest of second-growth Douglas firs, western red cedars, and western hemlocks. The first 1.5 miles climb 14 switchbacks on a forested hillside before entering the lush canyon of loudly cascading Lena Creek. At 1.9 miles the trail crosses the creek on an unnecessarily large wooden bridge at a point where the stream flows underground and the creekbed is usually dry.

After the crossing, three more gentle switchbacks and a lengthy traverse lead to the south end of Lena Lake. Unfortunately, it is initially hard to get a good view of this large, deep, green-tinged lake because the trail stays on the heavily forested hillside well above the western shore. At 3 miles the trail splits. The trail to the right leads past a fine rocky viewpoint above Lena Lake before passing numerous excellent campsites on the lake’s northwest and north shores. This is where hikers with children or those looking for a relatively easy hike should call it a night. Fires are allowed only in established campsites with metal fire rings.

To reach Upper Lena Lake, take the left fork (uphill) at the trail split, and follow a narrower trail that winds mostly uphill into the canyon of Lena Creek. After 0.4 mile go straight at the unsigned junction with a trail turning sharply right back toward Lena Lake. Your trail, which is rough in a few places but easy to follow, continues up the canyon and at 4.2 miles passes a sign marking your entry into Olympic National Park. Pets and weapons are prohibited beyond this point, as are fires above 3,500 feet elevation.

At 5 miles you cross a side creek on a convenient log, after which the trail gets steeper, with more roots, rocks, and mud. (You won’t regret bringing a set of trekking poles.) Even with these obstacles, however, the route remains obvious and is not overly difficult. Numerous short, steep switchbacks now guide you into the high country, where forest openings provide enticing views east down the canyon of Lena Creek and up to a rugged ridge on the southwest shoulder of The Brothers. The trail makes a bridgeless crossing of Lena Creek at 6.3 miles just below a sliding waterfall, and then ascends several more short switchbacks to an open slope with views south of pyramid-shaped Mount Bretherton. Finally, at 7.2 miles, you reach a junction just above the northeast shore of Upper Lena Lake.

This gorgeous lake, which sits in the basin between Mount Lena to the north and Mount Bretherton to the south, is rimmed with forests of mountain hemlock and Alaska yellow cedar and open areas featuring an abundance of pink heather. Fires are not allowed at the lake, and hikers are required to camp in designated sites on the lake’s northwest, southeast, east, and southwest shores. Composting toilets (with excellent views!) and bear wires for hanging food are provided for your convenience.

The lake is ideal for setting up camp and doing some exploring. A top goal is the rough boot path that goes west over a low pass before continuing to Scout Lake (no camping allowed) and the tiny but dramatically scenic Stone Ponds. You can also follow a scramble route to the top of Mount Lena or go south into the narrow basin containing Milk Lake.

Mount Bretherton provides a beautiful backdrop for Upper Lena Lake in Olympic National Park.

photo by Douglas Lorain