Trip Report
Basic Snowshoe - Lake Kachess & Box Canyon Creek
This is a pretty route with lake views to a waterfall viewpoint and not very challenging. Route is shared with snowmobilers.
Roseanne Lorenzana
- Sat, Mar 2, 2024
- Basic Snowshoe - Lake Kachess & Box Canyon Creek
- Lake Kachess & Box Canyon Creek
- Snowshoeing
- Successful
- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Straightforward route follows FR 49, passing along Kachess Lake and above the Kachess campground area, and continues to FR4930 which parallels Box Canyon Creek. FR49 is shared with snowmobilers and is wide with plenty of space for snowshoers to have separation from the snowmobiles. Once turning onto Box Canyon Creek road, there were only a couple of snowmobiles that passed us. The trail map indicates that Box Canyon Creek road is not a snowmobile route - LINK to Washington Park trail map for Gold Creek & Kachess Sno-Parks
At 3.5 miles, our lunch stop was on some snow-covered boulders above Box Canyon Creek waterfall. After lunch, we turned back to the trailhead by passing through the area of the campground. We continued south, keeping close to the shoreline. However, just before Thetis Creek there's a development of rustic cabins on private property (posted). Although Kittitas County parcel maps indicate that the shoreline is not part of this private property, a couple of people staying there claimed we were trespassing. Instead of arguing, we retraced our route and cut through the forest to rejoin FR4930 and head back to the TH. Water flow was pretty high in Thetis Creek; so, we would have had to turn around, anyway. FR 49 is shared with snowmobilers. When they passed, we got as far off trail as possible. Most gave us a polite nod and slowed down while passing.
