This is an unofficial route. Only come here if your navigation is up to the task, and practice Leave No Trace to avoid damaging fragile terrain.

I can find this unofficial trail on no maps, and it's not mentioned in most books, but it does have an entry on the Washington Trails Association website. I learned about it from the excellent but little-known book, "Mt. Rainier Trails" by Paul Hodge (who, like me, set himself a mission to hike and write about all the trails in Mount Rainier National Park rather than only the popular ones).

Actually, let me directly quote Paul's intro to these lakes:

"What are the Deadwood Lakes doing in this trail book? They're not on a maintained trail, they're not in the guidebooks and hardly anyone's ever heard of them. Well, that's why they're here. These two charming lakes are at the head of a small quiet valley, hidden from the crowds of Chinook Pass by an intervening ridge. They are not well known in spite of being only a mile and a half from a busy trail thoroughfare. Finding them is tricky but it's worth the effort as there is likely to be solitude along the way and on their sandy shores."

Well, I found them, and it was worth the effort. Thank you Paul! The shores were more mud than sand at the time of my visit though.

From Chinook Pass, follow the Pacific Crest Trail north for half a mile along the Sheep Lake and Sourdough Gap route. Turn left at an unmarked junction, climb to the saddle east of Deadwood Peak, then descend to a pair of lakes.

As of 2021 the path was easy to follow with no navigational challenges. Some kind soul had even placed branches to mark the correct route where intersections with game trails could be confusing. There were several blowdowns but none difficult to step across. Plenty of shrubbery and tree branches growing across the trail, so expect to spend much of the time pushing foliage out of your way. The trail is very steep in places, eschewing switchbacks in favor of a direct ascent.

Hikers who are comfortable with a bit of scrambling will find the distance and elevation gain of this trail pretty easy, but the roughness of the trail will not feel easy to others. Luckily the steepest section with most exposure occurs almost immediately after separating from the PCT, so you can quickly determine whether the trail is a good fit for you.