Bench and Snow Lake Trailhead

This easy trail features wildflowers in summer and fall foliage in autumn.

NPs Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Approximately 3 miles east of the Paradise Road wye along Stevens Canyon Road.

Amenities

2 listed

Parking - Auto, Trailhead

Season: Summer Only (June - September)
The trailhead is located along Stevens Canyon Road, about 1.5 miles east of Reflection Lakes. Stevens Canyon Road is open to vehicles during the summer season only, typically June-September. 

The Bench and Snow Lake Trail is a great hike for beginners, families with children, or those just looking for beautiful scenery. It is about 0.75 miles to Bench Lake and another 0.5 miles to Snow Lake, for a total roundtrip distance of 2.5 miles with approximately 700 feet of elevation gain. “The Bench” is a relatively flat, shelf-like landform on the west side of Stevens Canyon created by a lava flow that erupted about 91,000 years ago. The first part of the trail climbs up to The Bench, through patches of subalpine meadow and huckleberry shrubs to a short spur trail to reach Bench Lake. Continue on the main trail, with sections of steeper log steps, to reach Snow Lake. Snow Lake is tucked into a cirque of the Tatoosh Range and fed by snowmelt. Snow Lake has backcountry camping sites and a restroom. A wilderness permit is required for overnight camping. The trail, especially around Snow Lake, can have patches of snow well into late June or even July.

Bench & Snow Lake Trail Map

Map centered on the Bench & Snow Lake Trail on the south side of Mount Rainier National Park. The trailhead is located along Stevens Canyon Road. The trail goes southeast to Bench Lake, then climbs south to terminate at Snow Lake. Points of interest are marked by black symbols on the map. Several tools are represented by icons along the left side of the map. A ruler icon opens a tool to measure distance or area on the map. Clicking on plus or minus icons will zoom the view in/out, and clicking on a house icon will return the map to the original view centered on the Bench & Snow Lake Trail.