Mileage: 3.6 RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 1100/5512ft
Map: Green Trails Lake Shannon No. 46, Darrington No. 78, my GAIA
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:
This is a short but steep trail off the North Cascades Highway that attains a ridge of Sauk Mountain on a stack of switchbacks cut into the slope of the mountain (read high avalanche risk in the winter). From here you can find several perches to take in the views or those with scrambling skills can reach for the true summit. There is also a side trail down to Sauk Lake nestled below.
My Hikes:
9/2022
The hubs and I did the original Sauk Mountain Trail for Labor Day Weekend, you can read about on The Sauk Mountain OG.
9/29/2018:
I hiked the trail again today and made it to the true summit! I added a GPS track above and some more lovely places to stop for treats post-hike. If you haven’t been, make sure you add this to your hike bucket list. You can read more about this day on When A Mountain Becomes A Memorial.
The fall colors were out and quite a few people with their four legged friends hiking the trail. It looked like the marker to Sauk Lake was missing? We ventured up to the site of the old lookout and then along the ridge to the true summit.
This is not for the faint of heart and helmets would have been a good idea. The kids, of course, had no issue it was just me being a little sketched out in a few places considered a Class 3 due to exposure. I just took my time!
Mount Baker was out and we could see to the Puget Sound despite the overcast weather. What a beautiful way to celebrate my birthday!
7/11/2017
I helped family members find belongings of a loved one on Sauk Mountain, I wrote about here.
12/27/2016
I snowshoed up the road to Sauk Mountain, you can read about it here.
11/8/2016
I ended up taking the day off to help my son with something and what do you know? The weather was amazing and I had some time for a hike. The road up is one of the better ones I have driven this year and all of its twists set you up for the switchbacks you have on the trail to come. Even though I read the description before going, there is just that moment on the road where the view opens up and you can see one big hill etched with zigzagging lines you will soon be on. Even if all you did was drive up to the parking lot and walk around, you would have views to talk about.
But the bragging rights come from making it to the top. It was warm enough for sandals and t-shirt; hard to believe winter is on it’s way. This time last year I was hiking as the snow came down! The valleys with their snaking rivers and the sunbeams shining through the rolling clouds made for an great getaway to today’s election. The trail basically climbs most of the elevation on the switchbacks you see in meadow swath in the photo above, then curves around to the other side for more views and a junction down to Sauk Lake. You can enjoy a shady spot here or continue up a rocky path to where an old lookout used to reside.
There were quite a few folks out for a Tuesday and I can see why the hike is popular. And despite the signs, I did see one yahoo (who was looking at a screen most of the time) cutting switchbacks. Grrr….
I explored the rocky ridge and scrambled my way over to the west to find a little quiet and privacy. All the major players were on display: Baker, Rainier, Pickets, etc.
I remember reading about this hike last winter and I can see how it would be a No-Go in high avalanche season. The road would be a fun snowshoe, though, and had a few pullouts at the bends as you go up depending on the snow level this year. There were a few nice views from the road alone.
Directions: From I-5 take exit 208 for HWY 530, signed for Arlington/Darrington. Follow 530 through Darrington, where it Ts with the Mountain Loop Highway. Take a left at the T to stay on 530. Follow 530 north until it ends at Hwy 20, the North Cascades Highway. Make a left (west) onto Hwy 20 toward Burlington, then turn right on the Sauk Mountain Road (FS 1030) at 1.7 miles, just past Rockport State Park. Stay on this windy and steep road (you climb 3700ft) for 7.9 miles to the TH at the end.
For more hikes along HWY 20, click HERE.
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