Crystal Peak (6,595') is located 3.8 miles from Crystal Lakes Trailhead on Highway 410. It caps a high ridge along the NE corner of the Park with panoramic views across the Rainier massif and White River Valley. Upper Crystal Lake (5,805') lies in a spacious subalpine basin with rolling meadows under Crystal Peak and Sourdough Gap. Lower Crystal Lake (5,445') is tucked in a smaller, marshy setting ringed by trees.

The trail continues above Upper Crystal Lake (5,805') to Sourdough Gap (left of headwall peak), where it joins the Pacific Crest Trail outside park boundaries in the Wenatchee National Forest

Glacial flour, created by the grinding of rocks under a glacier's mass into fine, mineral-rich sediments, gives the White River its distinct milky color

Lupine derives its name from the Latin word for wolf (lupus), a reference to the belief it consumed a lot of the mineral content in the soil

Mount Rainier creates a rain shadow in the NE corner of the Park, which sees slightly colder winters with deeper snowpack than comparable subalpine environments in the Park

All of Rainier's rivers flow into the Puget Sound (except the Muddy Fork and Ohanapecosh rivers, which drain into the Cowlitz and eventually the Columbia River)

The broad, grassy slopes of Upper Crystal Lake are know to attract elk and goat throughout the summer

Glacial flour, created by the grinding of rocks into fine, mineral-rich sediments, gives the White River its distinct milky color

Nine major river systems and about 400 lakes and 470 streams have been mapped in Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Adams (12,777'), which comes into view on the final push to Crystal Peak, is the largest active volcano in Washington State

After climbing over 2,235' in just 2.85 miles, travel levels around the lake's big, open shore

View of Upper Crystal Lake and Sourdough Gap from Crystal Peak

Paintbrush is a member of the figwort family, a semi-parasitic plant that attaches to the roots of other plants to draw away nutrients

Lower Crystal Lake is cloistered by thick timber and considerably smaller than Upper Crystal Lake

The summit of Mount Adams contains a large swath of unstable rock which geologists believe can spawn future debris avalanches and lahars

Mount Rainier (14,410') is the tallest volcano and 5th highest peak in the contiguous US

Mild terrain and established social trails make it easy to circle and explore Crystal Lake

Elephants Head (Pedicularis groenlandica), a member of the figwort family (which also includes foxglove and snapdragons), favors damp subalpine meadows

Subalpine meadows have a very short growing season and are slow to repair; visitors are asked to remain on designated trails and existing paths at all times

Crystal Peak (6,595') stands prominently over the lake's west side

On a clear day 5 volcanoes can be seen from Crystal Peak (Rainier, Baker, Adams, Helens and Hood)

An unmarked but well-defined path veers off the lake's NE shore and climbs steeply to Sourdough Gap