Mileage: 8 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 3300/6900ft
Map: Green Trails Diablo Dam No 48 and Cascade Pass No 80
Favorite Eats After Hike: 5 B’s Bakery, Bird’s View Brewing Company, Mirkwood Public House, Glorybucha Microbrewery, River Time Brewing, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty Please.
Hike Details:
Hidden Lake Lookout is a classic Washington State hike with big view payoff if you are willing to put in the sweat. It begins with almost 2,000 feet of gain up the drainage of East Fork Sibley Creek to level out and traverse under the ridge that marks the boundary of the North Cascades National Park to come around the bouldered summit that holds the lookout itself. Expect to use your hands to scramble the rock and check avalanche conditions before you go.
My Hike:
8/16/2015
We left the trailhead of Hidden Lake Lookout in that famous bank of clouds that seems to start almost every hike if you are one of those who likes to get to the trailhead early and take that gamble that they will disperse in time for views. The switchbacks up were brushy and carrying the heavy burden of dew.
It was beautiful to watch as the sun began to burn through the haze, illuminating the trees and rocks. When we got up to where the talus begins, the blue skies were present but the valley was still socked in giving the feeling of being above the clouds. The trail is all rock from here and as you can see in the video, quite daunting to look up at the summit and wonder where they put a lookout.
We made our way around the boulders and up to the saddle and were welcomed by the gorgeous blue of the lake below. There was still a bit to go, mostly a boot path and scramble but we were rewarded with 360 views from Hidden Lake Lookout of the North Cascades, including the Boston Glacier and Glacier Peak.
Don’t forget to go down from Hidden Lake Lookout to the east and find the most amazing outdoor throne, although there won’t seem to be a lot of privacy if you actually need to use it!
The hike back out had lost its fog and we had views of the valley to lure us home down those switchbacks.
Directions: From Marblemount on Hwy 20, drive the Cascade River Road just short of 10 miles to the junction with FS 1540. The road will be signed for the Hidden Lake Trail. Drive the steep, rutted, rocky road 4.5 miles to the road end and trailhead for Hidden Lake Lookout. Parking is limited.
Click here for more hikes along HWY 20.
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