Denny Creek – Melakwa Lake

Amazing hike. Wanted something different, I 90 hikes for the most part are all the same; meaning steep hiking with the same views of the highway from above and Rainier in the distance. I am not trying to complain is it beautiful, but this hike feels like you are no where near the highway especially after you pass the creek.
From there the trail starts to gain some altitude, but hike during mild weather and I didn’t think it was bad at all and the views are amazing. Once your reach the pristine lake it will make all of the pains go away, so relax and enjoy the peace and quiet and then prepare for the hike down. In the end it will all be worth it.

Beautiful hike! Amazing

Starting from the parking lot to keekwulee falls is 2 to 2 ½ miles depending on which source you use. This portion of the trail is easy and doable for most people. When you reach the part of trail where you can view the falls, keep going. You will come across a bushy, steep trail on the right that goes to the top of the falls where you can walk around and enjoy the pools up there. Be cautioned that the rocks are slippery up here!
The next portion of the hike leads up to Melakwa lake. The sign in the parking lot says round trip to the lake and back is 9 miles. Another internet source says 8, WTA states the Denny creek trail is 6 miles round trip and my IPhone tracker clocked it at about 11 – 12 miles round trip. Hard to say what’s really accurate here. You gain a lot of elevation the last mile or so of this trail and the air is definitely a bit thinner as you reach the last leg of this journey.
The lake was beautiful, clean and quite warm. Great spot for an overnight backpacking trip.
I’m in good shape for hikes and walks but found the trip to the lake quite taxing. At a good clip it still took is almost 2 ½ hours to make our way all the way back to the car.

For people who don’t hike a lot, this is a do-​able but challenging hike. The climb from the parking lot to the lake is 1,820 feet (equal to about 150 – 180 flights of stairs). It’s pretty far (9 miles round trip) and can take up most of the day. My group started during lunch time and finished passed dinner time, but this duration takes into account of our picture taking and stops to relax at stopping points. And yes, you can do it!
This trail gives hikers a combination of flats, rocky floors, lots of uneven surfaces, small easy climbs, few wet surfaces, quietness, view of water fall, and rewarding view of lake. Some parts of the trail are shaded while others are in the sun.
Be prepared! Don’t underestimate this hike!
IMPORTANT TIPS:
–Bring a small day pack that is light weight and comfortable to carry all the items listed on the next bullet points.
–Bring at least 2 Liters of water, especially on a hot day. This is very important. Some people can get away with 1 Liter but you’ll be dehydrated on your way back.
–Use sun screen on face, neck, arms, etc.
–Bring snacks, fruits, or nuts.
–Do not litter. Let others enjoy this park the same way you can enjoy it.
–Watch out for pot holes in the parking lot. Our Honda Fit was able to maneuver through though.
–Bring walking/​hiking sticks. This will really help!!!
–Don’t bother tracking your hike using GPS. You’ll lose signal eventually.
–Bring a first aid kit just in case.
–Wear proper hiking shoes. I really like my boot because it provided lots of grip and prevented ankle rolling.
–Sign the paperwork at the posted sign before entering.
–Make sure you get the proper parking pass and hang it on your car before leaving.

The Unilocal address is incorrect at the time of writing this review. I have nothing additional to say about this great hike. The reviewers have already said everything you need to know. I just wanted to add the hyperlink to the trailhead:
On your GPS, put in Denny Creek Campground. Drive past the campground, turn left onto FS 5830 and you’re there (instructions assume you’re driving from Seattle on i-​90 east).

outstanding hike with many goods. the hike was a perfect length, level of difficulty with interesting and diverse terrain. the lake is gorgeous, crystal dark green alpine beauty. lots of rocks to walk on and exposed views of the area. one of the most beautiful water falls i’ve ever seen and i’ve seen many along the hike. the elevation gain was a gradual over the length which i liked. definitely one of my favorite hikes. we started on the trailhead at about 8am and it was not crowded at all. this is the best time to go. as we were hiking out, there were tons of people which i hate. also hiking out under the sun is not awesome but much better than baking as we hike in. starting early is the shit. Enjoy!!!

I really liked Denny Creek Trail! I had a very pleasant hiking experience going through the lush green trees and inhaling the fresh air of Snoqualmie, which was a nice break from the polluted and stuffy air in CA where I’m from. The trail wasn’t very challenging, especially if little kids can complete it too. It was unexpectedly a long trail with a lot of mosquitoes hovering over my face and my legs. The mosquitoes don’t really bite unless they’re attracted to the scent of your skin applications other than bug repellents.
What I enjoyed most about this trail was the scenery and the different kinds of paths it entailed, including wooded steps, plain dirt, bridges, rock steps, etc. You’ll never get bored during this hike because the surfaces change every few feet. The ultimate reward was the water slide, which was breathtaking as it was surrounded by tall trees in every direction. Kids and adults relaxed under the shades here and some of course went in the chilling water to cool down.
This was such a fun exercise that I would do it over and over again. The atmosphere in Snoqualmie was wonderful. Even though it was warm the day I hiked, there were still nice breezes and it’s never hot enough to dehydrate me like it would in CA.

The hike to Denny Creek is beautiful, if not peaceful because of the crowd. I took an out-​of-​town friend after our other hiking plans failed. Even though there are no mountain views, I feel like it is still a quintessential PNW forest hike that would impress out-​of-​towners with its beauty. The hike is easy-​peasy. At the end, you’re rewarded with a nice dip in the creek. As mentioned, it gets crowded and people invent their own parking spots. An excellent short hike nevertheless.

What a fun and easy breezy hike. It felt more like a nature walk with a 700 ft elevation. 4 mile round trip — kid & elderly friendly. At the top of the trail there’s a rocky area where lots of families set up camp & picnic while their kids go down the «natural water slide». Pack towels if you decide to play in the water.
Forest pass required — this is totally different from federal & and state discovery pass!
OMG you’re better off using the woods for a #1 if you need to use the bathroom. The bathroom was beyond disgusting and I held my breath! OMG OMG OMG OMG. You get the picture?
Lots of bugs! Darn horse flies. They were swarming me. They bite too! I found my bug repellent bracelet was effective. The bug spray seemed to attract them more! Go figure.

*After looking at the other reviews and some pictures online, I guess our group didn’t go far enough!*
Such an easy trail! What a world of difference flat terrain makes (compared to having any inclines).
We went recently and though the water wasn’t high (probably since it’s almost autumn again and it’s been drying up all summer) the trail was pretty and the waterfall at the end was really nice. We hung out by the waterfall for quite some time, climbed some rocks, and took some pictures.
Super family, children, and dog friendly.
We hear there is a trail that goes further than the first waterfall so we’ll have to come back and check it out next time.
*I’m guessing we only made it to the slide.*
To Be Continued…

This place is suuper pretty!!! Get here early because the parking lot will fill up! (Especially later in the afternoon, minivans will pull in with the little kiddies to release them into the natural waterslide Nina T. mentions.) We got here at 9AM and were able to pull in alright.
It’s 9 miles round trip, but only 2300′ elevation gain — tough enough for a little exertion, but nothing too threatening. The majority of the trail was under tree cover and there were some wildflowers at the base. But it’s really the area around the lake that is breathtakingly gorgeous.
The water is super clear, and where it’s deep, it’s so ultramarine-​turqouise, it could give Kool-​Aid makers a run for their money — the color is just so saturated! There’s a little path around part of the lake that is definitely worth checking out. The lakeside path goes out to «Upper» Melakwa Lake that feeds into Melakwa Lake. And across the lake, there’s a little flat spot that is filled with natural shrubbery so cute and darling, it looks lifted from a designer garden.
Definitely my new favorite hike. But bring bug spray — ‘Melakwa’ means mosquito! (I only got a couple bites)
— corrected wta link**

Definitely check out the Washington Trails Association site for reviews on this hike. It’s basically Unilocal for the hiking world (aka awesome.)
But my un-​athletic ass is not a hiker and so my review shall be placed here. As a skinny-​fat resident of the Great Pacific Northwest I have an obligation to love hiking. Enjoying the beautiful nature and fresh air while strolling along the trails is what summer is all about! …Yet I almost died on this hike.
It started on a weekday in early August of 2011 when myself and two friends departed Bellevue for the hour drive to the Denny Creek trail head. For a weekday, it was fairly crowded with ~15 ish cars in the parking lot. You were supposed to have some park pass, but we stopped multiple places on the way and couldn’t find where to buy one. So we just said «fuck it» and took our chances. It sucked though because we were more than willing to pay to park, it’s just not convenient in any way, shape, or form to get a pass when you can’t buy it there.
The hike took us most of the day, and I brought up the rear the entire way. Despite the crowds in the parking lot, most people seemed to stop at the rock-​water-​slide things and we only passed a few other people on the way to the lake. It was a very pretty hike with water falls, trees, and meadows. There were a few tricky parts where we lost the trail a bit and some fallen trees to hop, but we made it. The lake was large and gorgeous and there was still a little snow in spots. My out of shape body found it to be quite an exhausting hike, but my party members found it more enjoyable. And one hiking freak actually RAN past us up the hill.
Overall it’s really pretty, not overly crowded, and a good time! I’d definitely go back.

Can’t believe no one has reviewed this hike yet! It’s another popular one off of I-​90, easily accessible. In the summer, it’s a great one for kids because you reach a natural «waterslide» on smooth rocks pretty early on. Past that, there are a few waterfalls, Keekwulee Falls being the prettiest. This is a pretty good turnaround spot for the novices.
If you keep going, there’s a nice valley full of flowers in the summer. Another good turnaround spot because after that, you head upwards to Hemlock Pass and finally to Melakwa Lake. Melakwa’s a pretty lake, not that large, and there are campsites. In fact, the camping might not be a bad way to go because 10 miles makes for a pretty long day hike.