We have done the summit of Mt. Townsend several times and tried out going a little further to Silver Lake. The Silver Lake turn-off is hard to find, at 5,650 feet there's not much trail, which disappears beneath an outcrop of rock. At the exposed notch the wind whips through the trees, but the views are excellent. To get to Silver Lake, we descended into a valley thick with sub-alpine fir, basalt blocks, towers and cliffs. 

At the valley floor, the country consists of  open meadowland and groves of sub-alpine fir. Silver Lake, shaped like a teardrop, lies in an amphitheater encircled by rough peaks. We had a little rain fall on this hike, but the temperature was warm. Very nice hike, but a long one and lots of elevation transitions. Hiking, backpacking and horseback riding are allowed on the trail and it is busy in the summer months.

The trail is heavily wooded the first 2 miles and then opens up with views on mountains and lakes. Mt. Townsend Trail- Silver Lake Trail #842 - Elevation: 5,650 feet.  USGS Map Mount Townsend. The trail begins 0.3 miles above Camp Windy on the Mount Townsend Trail. A Northwest Forest trail pass is required on all vehicles parked at the trailhead.