Ancient Lakes
The Ancient Lakes are a cluster of lakes located outside of Quincy, Washington. There is an intricate, albeit easy to follow, multi-use trail system that allows hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders many options to explore the area. I downloaded a trail map from Gaia that can be used offline.
In March 2021, Cameron and I did a 1-night backpacking trip to Ancient Lakes. The springtime is probably one of the most popular seasons to hike this trail, as temperatures are warmer in Eastern WA, but not scorching hot yet, the rattlesnakes are still hiding and you won’t encounter any snow - unlike the western side of the state.
This was our first time hiking this trail and I’d rate it a 6/10. The trail system isn’t hard to follow / the chances of getting lost are slim. We were mentally prepared to hike 12+ miles roundtrip and gain 1,000-1,500 feet based on trip reports, but we hiked about 4 miles roundtrip and gained less than 500 feet, to get to the lakes. If you are up for more mileage, follow one of the many side trails to explore around the lakes, nearby waterfall, Dusty Lake and/or Quincy Lake.
It felt amazing to put on sunscreen and hike in a tank top after the long dark winter! When we arrived to the lakes, we found an established campsite with a fire pit (note: fires are not allowed in the summer, starting in June). It was around 11 AM by the time we set up camp and there were already 20+ tents in our field of vision. It was busy but we had enough space to spread out and weren’t directly next to other people - there are tons of campsites! The landscape is very open as well, so while it seemed like there were lots of people there, it likely felt that way because we could see in many directions. If you only have 1 tent and looking for more solitude, my recommendation is to hike up the ridge to the southeast and pitch your tent overlooking the lakes. We day hiked around that area and it was quiet, plus had an awesome view.
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If you plan to hike here, make sure you bring plenty of water as this is essentially a dry trail!! The lakes are filled with irrigation runoff and are deemed unhealthy for humans and pets to drink, even after you’ve filtered the water. We brought 2.5 liters, which was just enough to have drinking water and enough water to boil for our dehydrated meals and morning coffee/hot cocoa. But you’ll want to pack in a lot more if you’re hiking this trail in the warmer months.
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My last note/LNT principle is to please pack out ALL of your trash, including toilet paper. There was a lot of TP stashed in the bushes because it’s the one area where you can go with some tree/brush cover.
As always, I appreciate your support and for reading if you made it this far! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions and if you plan to add this hike to your spring backpacking list!