Lake Diablo: A Devilishly Good Time

Lake Diablo is a gorgeous Lake that can be found off of Highway 20 in the Northern Cascades. The closest town to the lake is Newhalem. This lake has an amazing turquoise tint to the water, due to the glacier rock floor of the lake. The turquoise tint mixed with the frigid temperature of the lake, mostly made of glacier water, make an experience that is unique to other lakes around the Washington State area.

Lake Diablo’s main campground, Colonial Creek Campground, has a large load of things to do when it’s open during the summer. These things include a dock for fishing, a boat launch, trails to hike on site, an amphitheater that has events weekly, and recreational areas for day trips.

SVC Student, Gavin Schweitzer said “(Lake Diablo) is a beautiful spot. The lake is super cold but there’s nothing like spending the day on the dock with your friends, occasionally jumping in to the freezing water. Some of my best summer memories have been make there.” Gavin goes up to Lake Diablo multiple times each summer. Another student who wished to be kept anonymous mentioned “My favorite part of area is the view of the lake mixed with the mountains. It’s very scenic up in there (the Cascades).”

The hikes on site include Diablo Lake Trailhead and Thunder Knob Trailhead, both in which are fairly short hikes. Longer hikes can be found just down Highway 20 West, at Pyramid Lake Trail. This hike will take upwards of an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the traffic of the trail, and the hikers ability. This is a challenging trial considering the rough terrain and the steep climb, but the results at the top of the trail are more than worth the climb.

Pyramid Lake is a whole new reason to visit the Lake Diablo area. The lake has an outstanding view of the cascade mountains that feel like they are basically on top of the lake. The size of the surrounding mountains make the lake seem like the smallest thing in the world, yet the lake is a surprising large size, both in depth and in area. Pyramid Lake has many logs and sunken trees underneath of the water, that makes an incredible scene. It seems like a forest that defies gravity underwater. Pyramid Lake, when done right, should take up most of a day, leaving the rest of the day for relaxation around Colonial Creek Campground.

Lake Diablo is one of the best parts of the Cascade Mountains. The lake is relatively close to Skagit Valley, under a two hour drive from Mount Vernon. It’s high elevation with mountains being mixed with the rare tint of the water makes for an amazing scene during the summer. Almost year round there is snow visible of the mountain tops that seemingly hover over the entire lake, and there are lots of activities to do all around the area. Lake Diablo is a perfect area to visit over the summer.