Darrington, Washington

With less than 500 feet of total elevation and 4.4 miles of round trip hiking, the Barclay Lake trail is a perfect hike for beginners, families, or those looking for a quick morning or afternoon jaunt. Yet dont let the simplicity of the hike fool you. The end result of the hike is nothing short o...

Don't let the low mileage trick you – this is not an easy climb. Give yourself plenty of time to summit this beast of a mountain. Starting at the Barclay Lake Trailhead, be careful not to jump onto the Barclay Lake Trail. The path to Baring Mountain is hidden down a path leading from the bathroo...

Start off on the same trail as Barclay Lake. After 2.25 miles, you will arrive at Barclay Lake. This lake can be quite busy in the summer months as it is relatively easy to access, and you may see many people camping there with their kids. Continue around the lake until you almost reach the east...

This place is really the stuff of fairy tales. Where else can you find a tiny cabin with 360-degree views of stunning mountain scenery? To the west, you can see all the way to Bellingham and the Puget Sound. To the south and east lie the jagged North Cascades. And the entire northern horizon is ...

Begin at the Park Butte trailhead, trail 603. Hike past the first Scott Paul trail sign a few hundred feet from the trailhead. Continue on and cross appropriately name Rocky Creek heading up on the Park Butte Trail. Continue up the Park Butte trail passing the Scott Paul trail again at about 4,50...

The Easton Glacier route is one of the mountain’s most popular and likewise, most crowded. Check out Mt. Baker’s Squak Glacier route or Coleman Deming Glacier route for an alternative climb with similar difficulty.You’ll start out at Schreibers Meadow Trailhead (3,200 ft.). To get there, exit off...

NOTE: THIS ROUTE REQUIRES GLACIER TRAVEL SKILLSMt Baker, or Kulshan, is a remarkable mountain in northwest Washington. Whether you're in Anacortes, Bellingham, Vancouver or on the San Juan Islands you can see Mt Baker standing as a citadel over the Northwest. Unlike the more popular routes like t...

This is a relatively short hike, at only 2.6 miles round trip, that takes you up to the nearly 5600 foot summit. The hike may be short but it is extremely steep, gaining 1300ft in the 1.3 miles to the summit, so be prepared for a good leg workout. On the way to the top you will walk through field...

The Picket Range is a remote and rugged subrange of Washington's North Cascades. It draws very few visitors per year, and the odds of seeing another human on your adventure are very low. West McMillan Spire is an 8,000' peak located in the Southern Pickets. It is a Class 3 climb involving bot...

NOTE: This is a very challenging mountaineering adventure. Please do not attempt without the proper skill, knowledge, and equipment.  The Sulphide Glacier is the easiest and most popular route to the summit of Mt. Shuksan, and is a great beginner’s glacier + rock climb. More experienced climbers...

The Trail From the parking area proceed back towards the road and hang a right up an abandoned road bed.  The trail follows this road bed for a about 0.2 miles before the real trail becomes evident.  The first 0.5 - 1.0 miles of this trail can be difficult.  Deadfall, wet, steep, and root covere...

Turn left off of the Grandy-Baker Lake Road onto FS RD 1130 just past the Boulder Creek Campground. Stay right at the first fork in the road. At 3.9 miles go right towards Rainbow Falls.  The falls are located at a large bend in the road at approximately 4.5 miles.  I have never found a good safe...

From Skykomish, WA drive east on SR 2 roughly 1 mile and turn left on the Beckler River Road, FS RD 65. Drive north on this road approximately 7 miles taking a sharp right at the pavement's end just before crossing the Rapid River.  You are now on FS RD 6520.  Continue on this road bearing left a...

If you find yourself in Washington State's remote Stehekin Valley, which is situated at the head of Lake Chelan in the heart of the North Cascades, and is accessible by ferry, float plane, or hiking trail, Agnes Gorge is a must-do day hike from the High Bridge area. By hiking or by Stekekin Valle...

...After spending my 3 days exploring and capturing the partial lunar eclipse at North Cascades National Park in Washington, I was eager to find another adventure that I haven't done yet or others didn't know much about. As I was driving East leaving Gorge Creek Falls, .9 miles on my left I spott...

The Approach Starting at the Trinity trailhead you'll hike the Buck Creek Trail towards Buck Creek Pass. The trail is fairly obvious once the snows have melted but if you are going early season (June-early July) you will definitely want to bring a GPS.  The trail works it's way up the valley alon...