Reed Lakes: Car-size boulders and beautiful blue lakes
If ever there were an iconic hike in Hatcher Pass, this is it. Reed Lakes — not Reed’s Lake(s) as many people say — is a trail that leads to two different waterfalls and two different alpine lakes in a remote-feeling valley. (One of the waterfalls is early on, while the other is between the two lakes.)
This trail is extremely popular by Alaska standards. If you want anything resembling a quiet day out, try to go during the day on a weekday or early in the morning.
This is hike 7 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and is among the most popular of the 13 day hikes in Hatcher Pass.
| Round Trip: 6.6 miles (lower lake) or 8.8 miles (upper lake) | Nearest community: Wasilla/Palmer |
| Elevation gain: 2,160 feet | Typical season: July to October |
| Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass | Nearby trails: Snowbird Mine, Fairangel Lakes, Lane Hut, Gold Mint, Marmot Mountain, Blueberry Knoll, Government Peak |
Reed Lakes Trailhead Directions
Take Trunk Road north from Wasilla until the road ends in a T intersection. Turn left at the T, which will be signed either for some variety of “Fishhook” road or for Hatcher Pass Road. At about mile 14.4 of Hatcher Pass Road, turn sharply right onto unpaved, often rough Archangel Road.
This road usually doesn’t open until June or July; it depends on weather. It’s also gated shut once winter sets in.
The old trailhead is on the right, about 2.4 miles in, and it is more rutted/rough than the road up until now. (The road past the trailhead is even worse.) Most vehicles can safely make it to the newer, more civilized gravel parking area, which is on the left side of the road a short distance before the old trailhead.
Hiking Reed Lakes
The first 1.5 miles or so of this trail are very straightforward, following an old roadbed. There’s one easy stream crossing, which at normal water levels is as easy as hopping rocks across a placid stream. At about 1.5 miles, the trail forks; if you veered left, you’d find yourself on the Snowbird Mine trail. Instead, bear right to stay on the Reed Lakes trail.
The trail forks a few more times; stick to the more-traveled branch every time until about mile 2, where you might want to take a brief side trip on the left fork to see a pretty waterfall. At the next fork, you can continue straight ahead and hop car-size boulders as you head up the valley. Or, take the right fork and follow the trail up a short hill and across a slope to limit your time in the boulders.
There’s no avoiding that boulder-hopping entirely, though. Heads up: The rocks are slippery when wet, and while some dogs handle the boulders easily, others simply shut down and have to be carried out. Once you’re out the far side, you’ll pass through one more small boulder field before you enter a land of pretty wildflower meadows and shallow ponds.
You can’t miss Lower Reed Lake at about 3.3 miles from the trailhead. Keep going if you have the stamina: Upper Reed Lake is lovely too, and in years with anything resembling normal water levels, there’s a very pretty waterfall spilling out of it.
Reed Lakes is also a great backpacking destination, although navigating the boulder field with a heavy pack is miserable (at best) in rain or fog, which are both very common here.
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Lisa Maloney
A long-time Alaskan, Lisa has written three award-winning guidebooks including "Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska" and "50 Hikes Around Anchorage." She also served as senior editor of Alaska magazine and has written hundreds of newspaper columns and magazine articles about her adventures around the state. Learn more about her at http://maloneywrites.com.
