Trails here are frequently grouped into North Cascades National Park due to their close vicinity. The terrain has a good balance of feeling rugged and remote but also accessible because the trails are well-marked. Despite being far away from the other Washington national parks, there's still a sizeable crowd of hikers here, so you probably won't be alone.
Even before peak foliage, the colors in late September were eye-popping.
This is one of the most recommended hikes in the park, especially for fall foliage. The trailhead is directly off North Cascades Highway, a paved road with a decent amount of parking. I managed to find a spot as late as 10 a.m. despite how crowded the trail was. This is a ridgeline loop around Lake Ann that shares a trailhead with the trail leading directly down to the lake, which you can include to extend the hike by an hour and a half. Go counterclockwise for more gradual elevation gain.
Views are closed in for most of the hike.
I admittedly rushed this hike, and having tackled it right after Maple Pass it felt somewhat of an afterthought. There's not much in the way of scenery since it's forested for most of the duration without great visibility, and the lake itself wasn't particularly spectacular. On the upside, it's on the easier side in terms of distance and elevation gain, but I preferred the views at other lakes like Bench Lake, Snow Lake and Eunice Lake.