![]() ![]() These connect soon enough with the Rainy Lake Trail, which is paved and level for the final half mile back to the picnic area. It’s a gradual downhill through the mountainside meadows at first, but once re-entering the forest it takes to rather aggressive switchbacks. ![]() The trail then begins to descend, working its way through similar terrain on the other side of the cirque. From this vantage you’ll see glaciated peaks of the North Cascades on every distant horizon. The trail works its way steadily upward, through spruce-studded meadows with panoramic views, to eventually reach a highpoint above Maple Pass. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 26 min to complete. Looking up at where you still have to go, you can clearly see the skyline of the ridge, with imposing cliffs near the top. Explore a spectacular loop trail that climbs though high alpine landscapes bursting with color from late spring floral shows to vibrant. Enjoy this 7.4-mile loop trail near Stehekin, Washington. Common among them is alpine heather with its pink blossoms, but it’s particularly fragile and undergoing restoration here, so be sure to stay on the trail. As the trail climbs higher, the trees thin out, and flowering bushes cover the mountainside. This optional side trip is quick and easy, taking a mostly flat spur to reach the shore of a tree-lined lake within a carved-out cirque.īeyond this junction, the main begins a rocky ascent to the rim of the cirque, where you’ll get great views down to the lake and its small island. Kori and Sam met up with me in the North Cascades to hike one of their favorite hikes I FORGOT that the parking lot was so big and loopy at this hike. At 1.25 miles you’ll reach the junction for Lake Ann. The trail starts uphill right away, and makes a steady ascent through conifer forest with lush understory. This begins with Maple Pass Trail departing from Rainy Pass Picnic Area. The view is amazing: late afternoon is the best light.Though the loop is good in either direction, most hikers choose counterclockwise for the sake of gradual elevation gain. There are rest rooms and lots of parking. Blue Lake and Maple Pass Loop are two of the most heavily-visited trails off Washingtons Highway 20 in the North Cascades range, offering access to the. Climbing high above alpine lakes, it skirts the North Cascades National Park boundary for views deep into the rugged and. This is one of the finest trails in the North Cascades, and Maple Pass Loop is a stunner during its short season. The Diablo Lake Overlook (milepost 132) is a wonderful vista point to stop when driving. Hiking the Maple Pass Loop in the North Cascades is a gem. This is also the last town to resupply anything for about 70 miles, so fill up! Booster Course Pass Wave 3 goes live on December 7, and will. If you are planning to camp over night on the North Cascades National Park, you’ll need a permit, and this is the place to get it, the Marblemount Wilderness Information Center. Just in time for the holidays, perennial best-seller Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is getting upgraded again with its latest batch of DLC tracks. They can also give you all sorts of great advice about where to go, current conditions, and all that.Īs you head east towards the mountains you’ll pass through Marblemount. Permits and Passes: A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead. You can stop in for maps and parking passes. In Sedro-Woolley the National Park Service and Forest Service share an office, right along the highway. The trail heading counter-clockwise leaves immediately. Reopening in the spring is usually accomplished by early May. A loop hike with many fabulous changing faces throughout the seasons, Heather-Maple Pass features ridgelines blanketed in wildflowers in summer, lakes ringed with golden larches in fall, and before the highway closes for the season, a dramatic place to experience early winter’s snows. The canyon has some excellent hiking and horseback riding opportunities as well. ![]() The highway is gated on the west side at milepost 134, east of Diablo, and on the east side at milepost 171, 14 miles west of Mazama. Maple Canyon has more than 550 routes with climbing grades from 5.4 to 5.14 in difficulty. In winter (usually at the end of November) the highway is closed due to heavy snow. ![]()
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