Feel like you’re the lead character of an epic saga as you complete one of the best hikes Alaska! The Reed Lakes Trail is a stunning journey through a lush 🍃🍃 landscape of imposing mountains up to incredible lakes! This is a must do hike.
Reed Lakes is a long day hike, but provides significant rewards. You’ll have to walk over boulders, across rivers, and up mountains to get to these lakes, but it’s so worth it. You’ll feel like you’ve transported to another realm, the entire hike was reminiscent of otherworldly scenes in New Zealand or Iceland 🇮🇸.
We have completed over 100 hikes in just the last year alone and we both agree that this is one of our all time favorites ⭐️⭐️. It has everything you’d want from a trail including spectacular views, vibrant lakes, and challenging terrain. We would go again in a heartbeat!
I hope that you add this incredible trail to your bucket list 🥾. Read my complete guide to completing the Reed Lakes trail below. It includes great tips on when to hike it, what to pack, and how to climb up to the top!
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Table of Contents
Reed Lakes Trail Guide
Quick Hike Info
Distance: 9.4 miles
Elevation: Roughly 2100 feet of gain
Type: Out and Back Trail
Length: 4-6 hours total (depends on how much you want to explore)
Difficulty: Hard (you’ll have to boulder and do a few river crossings)
Reed Lakes Trail Location
Reed Lakes is located in Hatcher Pass, which is a gorgeous mountainous area near Palmer, Alaska. It’s about an hour from Anchorage and 30 minutes from downtown Palmer 📌.
Hatcher Pass is a beautifully scenic area in the Talkeetna mountains. Locals and visitors come here to go for a scenic drive, do a hike, go paragliding 🪂, or recreate outside. If you are visiting the Anchorage or Palmer in the summer, then you do not want to miss visiting here!
You can find Reed Lakes a few miles short of the Hatchers Pass summit ⛰. It is one of the most popular hikes in the Hatcher Pass area.
How to Get to the Reed Lakes Trail
Getting to the Reed Lakes trail is fairly easy and straightforward. But, the only way to get there is to drive 🚗, so if you’re visiting you’ll need to rent a car.
If you’re coming from Palmer or Anchorage you’ll take the Glenn Highway until you get to the Trunk Road exit. From there, you’ll continue for about a 1.5 miles until you see the left ⬅️ turn for Fishhook-Willow Road. Make that turn, which should have signs for Hatcher Pass.
Continue along this gorgeous drive 13 miles, until you get to the Archangel Road right turn. It’s right after the sharp left to Hatcher Pass. Continue on that road until you see the parking area and fee station for the trailhead. Then, you’ve made it!
Best Time to Hike Reed Lakes
The best time to hike Reed Lakes is when Hatcher Pass is open in the summer. It usually opens up in the summer around mid-June and remains that way through the very early Fall (around June 15th to September 1st) 🗓. This hike is so beautiful that it’s truly incredible to complete whenever you can!
In the summer, you can expect gorgeous clear lakes, lush greens everywhere, and crowds on the trails. Alaska experiences Fall earlier than most other states, so you may get cold weather and ❄️❄️ snow ❄️❄️ even in late August! But, it’s definitely worth doing whenever you can.
While you can hike Reed Lakes in the winter, you’ll have to add two miles to your hike to get up the road. It is also dangerous and icy, so I would not attempt this unless you have a lot of experience.
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 There is no entrance fee to drive Hatcher Pass. However, you will need to pay for parking at the Reed Lakes trailhead. It’s a $5 fee that you can pay at the kiosk.
☀️ Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Rain is frequent in this area as well as snow, so just be prepared with waterproof layers and proper foot wear.
⛺️ One of the best parts of the Reed Lakes trail is that you can camp there! There are a couple designated tent areas, which have very clear signs. Please, only stay in the marked spots for tents.
💦 You can go for a dip in Reed Lakes, but the water is very cold. So, you should go in slowly and cautiously.
🦮 Many people enjoy this hike, especially because pets are permitted on the Reed Lakes trail. However, there is a large section where you have to walk over boulders, so this may be difficult for some dogs.
🚙 There’s a very small parking area right by the trailhead, which fills up very quickly. But, you can find more parking about .2 miles from the beginning of the path. Again, I recommend getting here early!
⚠️ Hatcher Pass is only open when it’s clear of snow, which is usually only a couple months out of the year. So, you should look up the road conditions before you go.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Reed Lakes Trail Description
Through the Greenery
The trailhead for Reed Lakes is well marked. Once you get to the path, you’ll continue on a well-maintained dirt trail for about a couple of miles. During the summer, this area is incredibly lush 🌿🌿 so there will likely be greenery on either side of you as you walk.
I really enjoyed stopping to enjoy the wildflowers 🌸🌸 and to take a few pictures of this incredibly green area.
After about two miles, the trail opens up and you’ll start to walk over more rugged terrain, which starts over a series of switchbacks up the mountains. These can be a little tough 💪🏻 and people have made some shortcuts over the years, but try to stick to the path to preserve it!
There are signs 🪧 for Reed Lakes as you continue, but once you get up past the signs there will be areas that you have to wayfind the trail.
Over Boulders
At the top of the switchbacks, the mountain begins to get more rocky 🪨🪨. You’ll notice that you have to climb over some larger rocks. I recommend following the rocks that are more worn to stay on the trail.
After about half a mile of rocky terrain, you’ll get to a boulder field. First, you’ll have to climb down and across it, then you’ll have to continue over it as it makes its way into the valley.
This is the area that people find very hard (especially with pets) and some people even turn around 😔. My best advice is to go slow and use three points of contact to make your way over the rocks. It’s not a race.
As long as you go slow, you should be able to find a path that is easiest for you. My husband and I went in different directions multiple times because he is faster when it comes to going over boulders.
When you get to the end of the boulder field, you’ll notice that you have to cross a river. Luckily, the rocks are pretty well spaced out so that you can easily get to the other side. Again, I recommend using three points of contact.
To Lower Reed Lake
Finally, you’ll be across the river and you’ll just continue up to get to the lakes. There are a few more rocky points, but they aren’t as bad as the boulder field. From this point on, the trail is fairly easy to follow and it’s clear.
In just a few hundred feet of elevation you’ll get to Lower Reed Lake. It completely opens up here, with fantastic views over the lake, a waterfall over a cliff, and the mountains 🏔 above it. It was one of the most fantastic scenes.
You can choose to stop ✋🏻 here and just enjoy this turquoise lake or continue on further. We saw a lot of families taking a break at this lake before moving on, which is a great idea!
Upper Reed Lake
Upper Reed Lake is just .9 miles further than Lower Reed Lake. You’ll walk past the lake, up by the waterfall, and over a rocky area next to a creek. There will be rocks in the distance with the mountain peak behind it.
You’ll walk just over the rocky hill and finally, you’ll see the stunning Upper Reed Lake! The bright blue 💙 color is absolutely arresting. I highly recommend spending time here to rest or eat lunch before heading back down!
This hike will be one of the most memorable you’ve ever done!
Packing Guide for the Reed Lakes Trail
Hatcher Pass is up in the mountains, which means that weather can change incredibly quickly even on a sunny day. We did this trail during July and on the way up it was sunny and beautiful, but on the way down it was completely covered in fog. So, my best advice is to pack layers and to bring 🌧waterproof🌧 clothing!
Also, on a nice day, you may dare to take a cold plunge in the water. So, I suggest bringing a bathing suit 👙 and towel as well. Remember, that getting into cold water suddenly can be dangerous so slowly go in.
Packing List Reed Lakes
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Small Pack
- Hiking poles
- 1-2 Liters of Water
- Snacks and Food
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- Headlamp
- Shelter
- Rain jacket or light winter jacket
- Satellite phone
- Downloaded AllTrails Map
Final Tips for Reed Lakes
Upper Reed Lakes is one of the best hikes that I have ever done. I seriously could not believe that the landscape all around me was real.
It’s a challenging hike, so just remember to take your time and go slow! The trail is hard to find at times, so I recommend downloading the map on Alltrails 📲 before you go. I hope you loved this hike as much as we did!
Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this trail guide!
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