Tucked away in the Central Cascades, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in Washington, United States, is shaped by glaciers and crowned with drama. Spanning over 1,600 square kilometres, it is the largest wilderness near Puget Sound and home to more than 700 lakes. Here, Tank Lakes shimmer like jewels against rugged peaks, many dusted year-round with snowfields. Trails weave through dripping Douglas fir and cedar forests where salal and berries thrive before opening into wildflower meadows and finally giving way to the dry forests of ponderosa pine.

For climbers, the Enchantment Lakes are legendary—Cashmere Crags alone boast granite spires rising more than 450 metres. But the routes come with names that test your courage before you even clip in: Bloody Tower, Cruel Thumb, Cynical Pinnacle and Crocodile Fang. Whether you come to hike, climb or simply sit by a mirror-still lake, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a reminder of nature's power to awe.