Photos of Trapper's Peak
About Trapper's Peak
From the summit of Trappers Peak in North Cascades National Park, all three Thornton Lakes spread out in rocky basins below you, with the jagged Picket Range and its glaciers filling the skyline to the north. The summit sits at the end of a rocky ridge with amazing views looking out over the alpine meadows on the slopes below. The lower lake lies closest, and the two upper lakes tucked away in a higher basin farther back. Mount Triumph and Mount Despair rise close by, steep and often streaked with snow. It's a great spot to pull out some of your widest lenses to experiment with stacking the lakes against the peaks beyond, or if you prefer using a longer lens you can pull the spires and ice of the Picket Range out of the distance. On the hike up you'll pass a small alpine pond on the ridge, that is an amazing spot to pause for some reflection photography on a calm day. The big view faces north, so the sun stays out of your frame for most of the day. Getting up here is part of the adventure, but the views are definitely worth all the effort. The rough gravel Thornton Lakes Road climbs through the forest to take you to the Thornton Lakes Trailhead. The forested trail winds up to a ridge above the lower lake, where the Trapper's Peak Trail branches off. There are camping areas around the lowest Thornton Lake if you don't want to hike in and back in one day. There's no fee to enter the park, but you'll need a backcountry permit to camp at the lakes. If you do decide to spend the night its also a perfect spot to experiment with astrophotography. (North Cascades National Park, Washington, United States)
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