PNWSights

By Astrid · 6 places

Gold Larches and October Light: 6 Stops

October in larch country and the valleys below

The larches do not wait. For two or three weeks in mid-October the subalpine turns entirely gold, and then the needles drop and it is over. I plan the month around Highway 20 and Icicle Creek.

  1. A lone hiker stands on a narrow alpine ridge above golden larch-covered meadows, with a winding trail leading through autumn colors. Towering gray North Cascades peaks fill the background under soft golden-hour light.
    1

    Winthrop

    Maple Pass Loop

    The 7.2-mile loop rides a 6,850-foot ridge above Lake Ann with larches lighting the basins on both sides. I go counterclockwise and start before seven on October weekends.

  2. Steep granite spires and snow-streaked ridges rise above Washington Pass, with a winding mountain road cutting through dark evergreen forest below. The overcast light softens the rugged alpine scene and leaves the peaks sharply outlined against a pale sky.
    2

    Winthrop

    Washington Pass Overlook

    Liberty Bell and the Early Winters Spires with gold larch at their feet, a short paved walk from the car. Mid-October is the window, before Highway 20 closes for the season.

  3. A wide view looks down over bright turquoise Blue Lake, with forested granite slopes rising on both sides and low clouds hanging over the mountains in the distance. Evergreen trees frame the foreground, and a few small rocky islets dot the still water.
    3

    Winthrop

    Blue Lake (North Cascades)

    Granite walls, still water and a larch-ringed shoreline at 6,300 feet, all inside a 4.4-mile round trip. The reflection is the shot; go early, before wind.

  4. A clear alpine lake reflects rugged, snow-streaked peaks and a bright clouded blue sky, with a lone hiker in a red hat standing on a rocky shoreline in the foreground. The still water shows crisp mirror-like reflections, and the wide view emphasizes the steep gray mountains around the basin.
    4

    Winthrop

    Cutthroat Lake

    A moderate 3.8 miles through pine and larch forest to a lake beneath Cutthroat Peak. Early morning gives the best reflections and the trail stays quiet even in color season.

  5. Eightmile Lake sits calm in the foreground, framed by dark granite rocks, dense evergreen slopes, and a few golden larch trees along the shoreline. In the distance, the granite peaks glow orange in the last light of sunset beneath a pale, cloudy sky.
    5

    Leavenworth

    Eightmile Lake

    One of the gentler doors into the Enchantments, with larches ringing the lake in mid-October. The 6.6-mile round trip off Icicle Creek Road is my low-commitment gold run.

  6. Snowy Cascade peaks rise behind a leafy park and village street, with tall green cottonwoods framing the view under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, a red “Non-Motorized Traffic Only” barrier and blue bollards mark the paved entrance near a small kiosk and grassy slope.
    6

    Leavenworth

    Leavenworth Waterfront Park

    Down in the valley the cottonwoods along the Wenatchee turn while the Cascade peaks stand behind them. Fall here frames the Bavarian village in yellow.

← All lists

Next shortlist

Five Places to Shoot Winter Storms and Snow