Mt. Pilchuck

Okay, I just started hiking last year. What have I been missing??? This was my second time up Mt. Pilchuck, and by far my favorite! This hike has everything. Old growth forest, waterfalls, snow, rocky slopes, and amazing views. If you go spring/summer you'll run into snow. This year, second week of July, we were hiking through it most of the way. It was very slippery, and we got very wet but I found that to be fun. My hiking buddy was not so thrilled with the snow, she felt it was not safe. We did pass by some people who turned around, and advised us to do the same. So just a warning, call ahead of time to the ranger station to get lowdown on snow conditions if you are more cautious. We continued on. The views at the top is SO worth the hike. But the hike is pretty sweet also, so what am I saying? You definitely want to go on a clear day, you DO NOT want to miss the spectacular 360* view! Once at the top you probably want to go to the lookout tower first, before it gets too crowded. I love the other peaks at the top (not so crowded), you will not regret exploring those. All that said, we went in running shoes (just fine), shorts (maybe there was snow, but it was hot), and carried lots of water. This is a great day hike. We started at 11:00am and back down by 5:30pm. Slower than most, taking lots of pictures, and spending at least an hour at the top. What's the rush? Enjoy!

I hiked this one solo yesterday and had a wonderful time. Aside from a few rocky points here and there, the trail is far from treacherous. As for the grade of the hill, it's not so steep as some, so if you are continually moving at a steady pace you can make it up in an hour to an hour and a half without much trouble.  I had the added advantage of hiking at the end of the summer season and so there was no snow or mud.  Most of the hike afforded good views of the surrounding area on the way, and as I hiked mid week, there was very little foot traffic.  All in all, an excellent day hike, and the lookout at the top provides a good resting point and shelter from the wind, though a clear day is best to take advantage of the fantastic views from the top, of course.  An added bonus on the way were the numerous blueberries which were ripe for the picking.  Yum!

The views on this mountain are awesome. A 360 degree panorama encompasses half of Western Washington, from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier to the Olympics. Some boulder scrambles and a snowfield make it a workout, and the bugs can be a bother, especially if you're huffing and puffing uphill at 1 MPH, but the scenic payout is worth every bite and ounce of sweat.

Some people do spend the night, although this is a day use only site and camping is legally prohibited except at the trailhead. Still, with no cops around, the temptation was too much on an 80 degree july 4th, so a companion and I carried full packs (ugh!) to the top for the fireworks show, only to discover 20 other people and two dogs already there. It was an amazing perspective for July 4th, but what really stole the show was the sunset and sunrise, all those peaks reflecting the yellow-orenge-red-purple of the alpenglow. Still, I would strongly discourage you from camping here, at least on a night when I intend to.

We went there on July 3 2009. The hike was mostly what others have said. I just want to point out that the second half was still covered with slushish snow, which could be fun, slippery, tiring, or all of the above. We didn't make it to summit as it'd probably take us 6 hours instead of the expected 4-hour-ish, but plenty of others continued up.  Had great pizza at Omega Pasta / Pizza in Granite Falls afterwards.

Just hiked up there on Saturday, and it was a very nice hike.  I had read great reviews, so gave it a try.  There was a lot of fog and cloud cover so when we reached the summit only half of the amazing view, was viewable.  From what we saw the views were great, but would strongly recommend going on a clear day to maximize your hike!  Hike was challenging, but not bad.  During the colder months ice will definately be an issue on the last half of the trail, but right now, wasnt too bad.  Have fun!

First off, if you are thinking about doing this hike, no running shoes. Only boots for this trail. The weather was great and it was a Sunday so parking was hard to come by and my friends and I spent some time on the side of the trail letting people go by. Once up on the summit it reminded me of I-5 traffic jam trying to get in and out of the fire watch tower. With all that said those were the only negative parts of this hike. The view is great and there are some rocks you could boulder if you are into climbing.

The structure on the top is insane - there is no trail to it, you have to climb rocks to reach it.  None of the photos here do it justice.  I somehow managed to wrangle my dog up to the structure and back, and she's afraid of heights.

The ultra-rocky trail doesn't seem like a problem until you're tired on the way down.  This trail requires choosy footing nearly the entire length.  Don't let your guard down.

4th attempt is a charm - company I've been with previously has preventing me from completing this hike.

September 8, 2008. It is my second time on this hike. Last time was 11 months ago, was a lot of snow and ice, windy on top. This time - all dry, VERY warm on top, including through the night, no wind. The views are stunning, the effort is very little for the benefits you get on top. Year ago I ran up the trail in 42 minutes. Today we hiked fast, got to the top in 65 minutes. Stayed through the sunset and went down in the dark with a flashlight, arrived at the parking lot at 11:30 PM!!! Totally worth it. If you've never done it - go now. If you have friends or relatives from out of state - this is an easy way to impress them. Baker, Rainier, San Juans, Cascades, North Cascades, Olympics, Seattle, Bellevue, Everett - everything was visible. Stayed on top for awhile because of the beautiful stars. I would wear hiking shoes to just protect the ankles and stretch your quads :) Enjoy the hike!

Great Hike!!!! lot's of fun and it was pretty easy. took us 2 hour to get to the top and a hour and a half to get back down. was mostly clear skies so we got some great view but did not get to see the olympics or rainer. the only downs were the annoying flies and other insects(bring repelent!) and how popular the hike is. lots of people on the way up, at the top and the way down. not the best hike if your seeking solitude.

08-09-2008

We are not very active hikers, but we like nature, so we decided to do the Pilchuck hike to see what we could see. We started the hike at about noon, and reached the top around 3:00.  Like i said we went to see nature; not just to reach the top, so we spent some time just standing around taking pictures, and taking  in the moment. Most of the hike was overcast, but we did get some good views of the valley. Hiking boots are a good idea, and that is what I had on. Krista however had on tennis shoes, and did not seem to have much of a problem except for getting through the few snow spots.

We found that the hike got strenuous about half way up, or at about the first big rock field. There  was not much snow, and most of the hike was either wet, and muddy, or rocky. Over all this was a great hike, and it felt good to reach the top,where it was windy, and cold. What we could see with the breaks in the fog was awesome.  We spent about  20:00 at the top eating, and reading the info boards in the lookout tower.  When we started down the fog had really moved in, but cleared a little within a few minutes.  Going down was a bit faster, and easier on the knees. We lost the path a few times but it was easy to find again; however it could be better marked, but hey if your going down your heading the right way as I see it. We got to the car around 5:45, and that was that.

November 27th - lots of ice for 2/3 of the hike, but it was amazing. I was in shorts, bodyarmor t-shirt and trail running shoes. To that guy in the red truck (he wanted to bet it that it would've taken me 3 hours to get up there and an hour down) - 45 minutes up, 25 minutes down :) Amazing views, will definitely come back there again!

I am a desk jockey from the East and don't see mountains, much less climb on them.  I was game for the hike, but didn't have my hiking boots with me, so I used tennis shoes.  I think the trail was harder than what we read in a local hiker guide.  The rocks and uneven terrain made my ankles sore by the end of the hike, but it was not bad enough to complain about.  I'm 54 and pretty out of shape.  I took my time, ate some lunch and enjoyed the views.  If I had looked up at the peak from the parking lot I may have tried to back out, but my son (23) egged me on after each "Are we there yet?"  September 1, '07 was a beautiful day and the views were spectacular.   I saw lots of families with children of all ages, dogs, and a few solo hikers.  The people didn't bother me because I was too busy looking at the scenery.

Even if you are only doing this hike once, invest in a pair of hiking boots.  The whole trail is rocks. Me and my buddy Kyle went up and down the mountain in our DC skate soes... not such a good idea.  My feet hurt like hell, but it was still a lot of fun.  The view from the top was ok, but there were still alot of clouds in the way.

Hiking Pilchuck is a great way to spend a beautiful day in the Northwest.

Make sure to take a picture for your MySpace!!!

We went on this trail on August 26th, 2007. This hike is spectacular, and when there are no clouds (which were in and out our entire trip) the view is worth the effort. The trail is very rocky and muddy in some places. It gets cold towards the top. It is pretty hard, so I would rate it pretty difficult for "amateur hikers".  It's also more like a 4.5 hours round trip because it's so rocky and steep and you have to watch pretty much every step you're taking.  The lockout at the top is really fun and rewarding and you'll feel very proud of yourself that you made it! Just be very cautious.

Did this hike yesterday (7/15/2007)  in a little over 3 hours.  Got to the trailhead around 3:30 and summited aound 5:30.  The trail was pretty empty and i passed 30 people max the whole day.  The hike was rockier and steeper than I had expected . Overall, I would say it is pretty strenuous for the infrequent weekend warrior hiker and would agree that boots are a must considering the rocks.    At this time of the year there was no ice on the trail, but still a few patches here and there on the mountain.  Unfortunately, it was too cloudy at the top to see the great views, but there are still some amazing photo ops along the way.  Be aware that there a lots of bugs/flies on the trail and they can be quite annoying.  Definitely would do it again.

July 4th was a perfect day for hiking Mt. Pilchuck!  We hit snow on the trail about half way.  Due to the heat of the day, the melting snow was slippery.  On our descent, there were many spots that we slid on our butts as it was difficult to maintain our balance.  Remember the bug spray!  Tons of bugs.  What a spectular view from the lookout!  I am looking forward to making this an annual event.

Just hiked Pilchuck today Sunday 17th of June 2007.  The weather was 44F and raining at the bottom.  why my wife and I started to hike is beyond both of us.  We thought the weather might break.  It didn't.  It took 38min until the switchback at the boulder field.  The first snow patch we traversed was about about 50min into the hike.  It took about about another hour and ten minutes in the snow to reach the top.  We enjoyed the cold wind blown mist the whole hike.  The forest was great with huge trees with moss on them.  The snow fields were great too.  The view was awful but I bet on a clear day this would be a great.  So the hike up took 2 hours and and hour and a half down.  The brook at the beginning was tough to cross but after that the hike was a straight forward.

pilchuck is a great hike . its one of my favs. the lookout has an awesome view . and you can cook your lunch or even crash overnite in it. i like to hike it in the snow!!!

This is a pretty cool hike. In the summer, you can wear a t-shirt and shorts, but bring a jacket, it can be windy at the top. If you have experience with winter hiking and routefinding, i would suggest doing this hike in the winter, sometime between january and april, on a clear day. the view is awesome, and when all the peaks around are covered in snow, it is really on awesome view. If you do it in the winter, make sure to watch where you're going. you can get up either ridge, but one ridge is usually heavily corniced, and can present a hazard when the weather is not clear. My friend almost walked off it!! Overall, this hike is pretty good.

This was such a great hike. It probably doesn't hurt that the weather was amazing the day that we did this hike (a crisp, sunny fall morning). The views were amazing. I would expect it to be a bit more difficult if it were raining because of the boulder scramble at the top. Also, if you have weak ankles I would avoid this hike as the abundance of rocks on the trail provide many opportunities to twist an ankle. In the afterrnon, when we were coming down the trail, it was very busy. I would aim do to this hike in the morning to avoid the crowds.

I will dub this hike the "stairway to Heaven."  Mostly because it seemed to go straight up for ever.  Not to mention the final scramble over giant boulders to the fire spotting station sitting on top of the world.  The other reason I would call this hike the "Stairway to Heaven" is because of the many "flights of stairs" along the way made from wood logs, stacked rocks, and naturally occurring rock formations.  A very interesting way to make a trail.  Which, by the way, was almost all rocks it's entire way.  Small rocks, medium rocks, and large rocks.  If you do not like to hike on rocks, don't go on this hike.  As we left the parking area at 1:00 PM (purposely late hoping for clearing skies) with rain clouds looming, the trail quickly fogged in.  We did catch a few glimpses of the valley below through the swirling fog and mist.  It sprinkled off-and-on as we reached the spotting station after 2 1/2 hours.  As we covered the last 1/4 mile of the trail and ascended to the spotting structure, we realized our hands were numb.  I would say it was in the low 40's (maybe 30's) with a strong wind and the wet mist and fog totally obscuring any view there would have been.  The shelter was an amazing thing to find at the top of the mountain at 5,300 feet.  It provided shelter from the wind, but not the cold.  It had alot of pictures and historical stuff to look at.  We signed the guest book and commented that our Spam sandwiches never tasted so good.  We had to psych ourselves up for the blast of cold wind as we climbed down the tower ladder and made our way down the huge bolder scramble which makes up the final 100 feet of the "trail."  The sun came out about half way down, but we did note the temperature was 49* in the car at the parking area when we finally left.  It only rose to 62* as we hit I-5 in Everett.  I gave this hike only four stars because I have no idea what the view would have been like, had it been clear.  The steep, rocky trail was OK for me, but I would suggest good boots and not going if you do not like "rock hiking."  We plan to try it again on a clear day this fall or next season.

Hiked up MT. Pilchuck on 09/03/2005.  This is a great hike I would recommend that you come prepared.  Hiking boots are best due to all the rocks you will have to walk and climb over. (Save you feet and ankles wear hiking boots.)  The weather at the bottom may not be the weather you encounter at the top.  It was very foggy at the top so we missed the views on this day but still beautiful. The top is where it gets very cold so bring a fleece or jacket..  Also be sure to bring water and at least energy bars to refuel.. Believe me you will be burning some calories on this trail.   Yes it is only 6 miles but you have to work to get there so to make your hike more enjoyable come prepared.    Gave this trail a 4 due to all the rock you have to naviigate throught.  it took us 2 hours to get to the top and 1 hour and 30 minutes to get back to the parking area..   This is a very busy trail.

The day started out very foggy... I was going about 5mph on the drive up to the trailhead... The fog didnt clear up until the way down (about noon-ish) but that didnt take away from the hike... Unfortunately I live very far from Pilchuck, and didnt see the view, but I still enjoyed the hike... The boulder fields were pretty spectacular, and of course the lookout on top was fun... Be sure to write a journal entry, just for the hell of it, and watch your step going down on the boulder field... An ankle twist can soon become reality...

We hit the trail at 9am on a Tuesday morning.  The whole way up we were surrounded by dense fog, even the drive up to the mountain was very foggy.  The trail itself is in decent shape.  About half of the trail is through boulder fields, so wear appropriate footgear.  We didn't get any expansive views because the fog did not clear up at all, but the hike was enjoyable nonetheless.  It took 90 minutes to reach the top, and 80 minutes to descend.  I saw less than 10 other bodies on the trail the whole time.  We were driving away from the trailhead by 1pm.  I give this hike 2 hikers, but keep in mind this is for an active 22yo.  Gambatte.

We left the Eastside on Hwy 202 and travelled up and out of the clouds to the trailhead of Mt. Pilchuck.  The hike was a lot easier than I had expected.  We did loose the trail once but could retrace it after seeing someone else on the trail.  Look for the wear path on the rocks, and keep your eye on the yellow paint spots.  This hike is way more pleasant viewwise than Mt. Si because it is almost all in the open, and you have spectacular views all the way up.  Looking to the west, look for the lakes in the forests.  It's also nice to get to the lookout at the top and be able to get in out of the wind for lunch.

I'll agree that this trail must be a challenge to follow and negotiate in winter conditions. Its no cake walk in the summer either. However, the views are as good as advertised and well worth the effort. Stamina is key, as the seemingly short 3 mile trip up offers few instances of level ground. However, I observed a couple of fit grandmas, some young boys and girls, and a mini-dachshund descending the mountain; each one was somewhat spent, but alive nonetheless. How's that for a measuring stick? The forest section is easy enough, and smells like xmas trees here and there. Note the sharp right uphill towards the end of the forest which someone marked with some rocks stacked in a jenga-like fashion. The path through the boulder fields is not as evident, but can be followed with relative ease simply by observing the browner, dirtier, and sometimes smaller former boulders turned into rubble which comprise much of the regular footpath. The lookout is visible from the parking lot and reemerges in the boulder fields begging the question "have i gotten any closer to that thing?" don't worry, you have. The final push to the tower involves some huge boulders which require at least one free hand, but preferably two. Though the hike time is listed as 4 hours, you'll likely want 20 additional minutes or more at the top for pics, rest, reflection and contemplation of questions like "why the hell do i live in Florida or any other flat state?" There are also many scenic spots for pics and rest once you clear the trees. Enjoy views of Ranier to the south and various sights to the west and north as well on your way up. Again, the view from the tower is breathtaking. Also typically overlooked is the fact that the drive between the blue bridge and the trailhead takes 20-30 minutes round trip. enjoy cd

Great hike!! I read the reviews before the hike and I don't think they give the hike enough respect for the difficulty. For an avid hiker it may not be that difficult, but for me who maybe hikes 2 to 3 times a year it was pretty hard. It is like walking up stairs for 3 miles and then throw in some big boulders. But it was well worth it. The lookout was amazing and well worth the effort.

Great hike. The snow has melted from the trail, I wore shorts and a t-shirt and was fine. Started the hike at 8:30am ish and reached the fire lookout at about 10:45. The view from the top was amazing, well worth the effort of getting there. The trail was almost empty on the way up, i only saw one person on his decent. At the top there was me, and three other hikers. On the way down though I saw at least 30 people, so if you would like to hike it alone, starting early is the way to go..

Got to trail head around 5:30pm with my buddy saying, "Aww, don't worry we'll be back way before dark!" In a tank-top, shorts, and borrowed tennis shoes, we pretty much ran up the first third to half of the trail. Then we ran into snow which wasn't bad at first, but then with all the water on the trail and back in the snow, it got rather brisk towards the top. View was spectacular, wish we had brought more than camera phones for pictures. What can I say? Being spontaneous doesn't mean being prepared! Would recommend other people considering this climb to come better equipped, snow in basketball shoes is definitely interesting. Oh, and we did make it back before dark :)

my brother and i started at noon on march 14. with the mild winter, we expected little or no snow but were quite surprised.i foolishly wore tennis shoes, my brother was smarter and wore boots. easy going for the first half, but the snow and ice the rest of the way was challenging. it seemed like a long 2 miles, but the lookout station and view at the top were well worth it. we made it to the top in 2 1/4 hours, which seemed fast considering the conditions. the weather was clear, the sun was out and we only saw a few other hikers.

Feb 23, 2005 and who'd believe you could climb to Mt. Pilchuck in just hiking boots and trekking poles? Our group had to chain up half way up the road to the trailhead....not a good sign for the beginning of a hike. Needless to say, the trail was snow covered from step one but well packed down. The weather was cloudless (as was the two weeks prior to the climb)and by 10 a.m. the layers began to come off. Thanks to only having 1/4 the normal amount of snow for this time of year, the climb was not only doable but fun. Crampons would have increased our rate of climb but were not needed going up but would have been easier on the legs on the decent. The four county area had a burn ban in effect and was evidenced by the light haze in the distance but the 360 view was breathtaking none the less.

I made it up on Sun. Jan 30th. I passed up the road at first, expecting it to be better marked. The sign for Mt. Pilchuck Rd. is a little ways off the mountain loop highway. Just watch for the first bridge past the verlot ranger station and take a right. After driving to the end of mt. loop highway, turning around, and burning a good portion of the morning, I found the road and started up the trail around 12:30. The parking lot was fuller than I expected with it being January, but more power to the people for getting out on a nice winter day. The first half of the trail was pleasant, no snow and only a little mud. Once you came out of the wooded part of the trail there was snow for the last half of the hike. The smart folks brought poles and crampons. My group did not, so getting up to the top was a little frustrating and slippery. Visibiltiy from the top was non-exsistant due to the cloud cover, but a mountain with snow is still a very beautiful thing. I took plenty of pictures, and can't wait to hit this hike on a clear day. The descent was twice as fun for me. Because we didn't have any crampons/poles, we tried to slide down the hills without falling, and just slid as long as we could on our butts when we did. Nice workout, very satisifying hike. Happy to be able to get up there in January. There was one tree fallen across the trail, but it was easy to crawl under. I'd definitely recommend bringing a pole to help yourself along once you get to the snow, but don't let the snow stop you at this point. Check weather reports before you leave, you never know when mother nature will decide to make up for her lack of snow fall thus far.

I took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and totally enjoyed the hike. The trek through snow from start to finish was very enjoyable. Starting around 10:30 got me to the top without too much trouble at a little after 12. Seeing some hikers in snow shoes and various other climbing gear I thought myself slightly under-equiped with just my hiking boots until I saw a few people with just tennis shoes. I couldn't imagine how cold their feet were by the end. Take your time driving on the pothole-ridden road, especially now that the top is icy in spots.

I just returned from the summit, and I cannot get over what a great day of hiking it was. It certainly didn't feel like December. The beginning was a barely muddy at all, while the middle and the top were packed snow. We were fine in hiking boots and passed people on their way down who were wearing tennis shoes. The view from the top was spectacular, and clear in every direction despite the heavy fog that lingered in the valley. The hike down was cake because we glissaded down on the slushy packed snow. There was no ice or snow on the road at all, but there was a small section of the road that had some fairly large potholes, some must have been 6 inches deep and 2-3 feet across. Bring a car with some ground clearance and you'll be fine. If you plan on catching the sunset, remember to bring a flashlight...you'll be hiking down in the shadow of the peak.

The climb up is actually easier, because going down you have to stop yourself from falling forward :)

Very well-maintained trails, incredible, strenuous half-day hike. My BIG complaint is the crowds. Yeah, it's a Saturday but the trails were chock full of people and ultimately made for a so-so experience. Going up, we're bombarded with amazingly inconsiderate tourists who never thought to give the right of way to those ascending the mountain. (Hey Parents, consider this is an excellent learning opportunity and teach your kids manners. At times it felt like Disney World, not a state park.) At the top, the lookout was cool, but again, not for those wanting to get away from it all.

Hiked this one on 8/10/04. Views are spectacular and worth the climb. The upper half of the route is rocky and has little shade. It was a warm day and a number of hikers didn't bring enough water. Remember, there's no Starbucks at the peak...

Took this hike this last Sunday (07/26/04), A great day for this hike not to hot (Thank God). Started early (I would suggest less people. It was a little more rocky then I expected but not bad. Great views from the top after a rock climbing to the lookoput (Fun). I suggest after taking this hike to go down to the Stilly River and soaking your feet, a great topper to this great hike.

Views were unsurpassed. Easily done mid-week after work.

I fixed the driving directions to reflect what has been said. Thank you all for pointing out this missing!

July 10, 2004 - The prior post regarding directions is right on; we had the same trouble. Look for the blue-gray bridge. In fact, just look for the first bridge with metal beam supports (just in case they decide to paint it yellow next). The trail is a bit rocky once you are about 1.5 mi up. However, the trail is nicely maintained the entire route. A fun bit of bouldering awaits you at the summit (not far & not difficult). The day was cloudy, so the views were not quite what they could have been, but what we could see was still beautiful!

Great hike, beautiful area, really lovely and well-maintained trail! Difficulty level is a bit minimized--much more rocky than I was led to expect, there's rather a bit of scrambling. Also, BEWARE--the directions listed here are incorrect (outdated or something)! It was a bit more than "several miles" down Mountain Loop, and if you go until the "red" bridge you will have gone quite a few miles too far! In reality, it's the first brige--currently painted pale blue--after the Verlot Ranger Station where you turn right, and I could see a sign but could not see that it said "Mount Pilchuck" when I turned.

We went up to Mt. Pilchuck this weekend for a quick hike. I must say this hike was very pretty. There are views from the lookout you can't believe. I don't know all the mountain names you can see but I am sure Mt. Baker is one and even better is a smaller snow capped mountain which is even closer. I think it is called Glacier Peak. I very highly reccommend this hike!!!