Summit Lake (Willow, Alaska)

Summit Lake is a very small tarn (cirque lake) located above the tree line within the Hatcher Pass of the Talkeetna Mountains in Willow, Alaska, United States.

Description


The lake is located about 2000 ft southwest of the summit of Hatcher Pass, about 2 miles southwest of the Independence Mine State Historic Park, and about 2500 ft northwest of Hatch Peak. It is also about 26 mi west of main area of Willow and about 12 mi north of both Palmer and Wasilla. The lake is situated within (and is the namesake of) the Summit Lake Recreation Site The lake is fed directly by springs and snow fields and flows via a waterfall into beginning of Willow Creek. Willow Creek feeds into the Susitna River, which empties into the Cook Inlet of the Gulf of Alaska.

While lake is very small, it is still a very popular site for photography. In addition to the lake's very scenic views in the summer, the area is also a destination for hiking and paragliding. In winter, the area is also popular for backcountry winter sports and access to the area is maintained year-round. However, complete access through the pass (including access from Willow) is usually not possible until early July. The lake itself is accessed from the gravel road by a wide, but short and fairly rocky trail.