Dalles RidgeRecent Trip Reports
Hiked here recently?
Submit a trip report!
There are
19
trip reports for this hike.
See all trip reports for this hike.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Fall foliage | Ripe berries
Issues:
Blowdowns | Snow on trail
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
We decided to take the Dallas Ridge route up to Noble Knob. The drive to the trail head was great!...
We decided to take the Dallas Ridge route up to Noble Knob. The drive to the trail head was great! As we approached Greenwater we broke out from under the marine layer to beautiful blue sky. After the pavement on FR 70 the dirt roads are in good shape, there are fall colors and great views. We followed the directions from a previous poster(thanks!)and used our Green Trails Maps.
The trail is in good shape. The blow-downs are easy to get past. About half way up there was a light dusting of snow in some places that gets to be a little more farther up. There were a few berries and the fall colors are coming on nicely. The views from the top are amazing! We could see Mount Rainier, Glacier Peak, Mount Stuart and many more that I don't know by name. Love this hike! Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Blowdowns
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
For those who would love to visit Noble Knob, have read the wonderful trail reports but have low-clearance vehicles, cars...
For those who would love to visit Noble Knob, have read the wonderful trail reports but have low-clearance vehicles, cars with bad suspensions, small children, or not a lot of time, I would definitely recommend hiking Noble Knob via Dalles Ridge (#1173) instead of the usual way (trail #1184). The reason is the road. If you drive to this trail head via FR 70/72, you will have the joy of riding on smooth pavement for several miles before hitting a packed gravel road that climbs gently with minimal wash-boarding, few potholes, and spectacular views of Mt. Rainier.
The hike to Noble Knob via Dalles Ridge is about 4.2 miles round-trip, so it can be done in less than 2 hours. The grade is gentle and only steepens slightly for the final mile, giving you about 700 ft of total elevation gain on this hike. You start in forest but quickly gain views of the white flanks of Rainier within minutes. Kids might actually enjoy the 8 blow-downs which you can easily hop over, under, or around. As you hike, you'll pass junctions for other trails and at 1.8 miles, you'll junction with Noble Knob Trail #1184 on your right. Keep going straight and at the base of the Knob, three trails diverge. The center spur trail leads up to the Knob (the left is the continuation of #1184 and the right is the continuation of #1173). No water on the trail but it's so short that you probably only need one water bottle anyway. DIRECTIONS: Drive east on Hwy 410 from Enumclaw 20.3 miles to FR 70 (just before MP 45), a nicely paved 2-lane road, on your left. Go 5.7 miles and turn right onto FR 72 (just past a large gravel pit where hunters are often calibrating their sights). Follow FR 72 for 7.2 miles to a Y. Take a left onto Road #7250 and travel 2.0 miles to Road #7250210, which is a 3-way junction with a miniscule sign on it. Take the middle road which leads to a dead-end at 0.5 miles, Dalles Ridge trail head. On the return trip, make sure you turn LEFT from FR 72 back onto FR 70 and pass the gravel pit again.
Dalles Ridge, Noble Knob
— Sep 04, 2011
— Maisie
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
Great views, great wildflowers. Dalles Ridge to Noble Knob is about 5 miles RT. You can keep going as...
Great views, great wildflowers. Dalles Ridge to Noble Knob is about 5 miles RT. You can keep going as long as you like beyond Noble Knob. No water on the trail but a few lingering snow fields off to the side refreshed canine and humans alike. This is the back way to Noble Knob that avoids driving on Corral Pass Rd. The most difficult part is finding your way to the in the maze of gravel roads. I add here directions from a 2007 report.
General driving directions to the trailhead: Drive east on State Highway 410 to Greenwater Road FS #70 (1.7 miles past the community of Greenwater). FS road 70 is a paved 2 lane road. Turn left (north) onto Road #70 and follow 5.8 miles to Road #72. (just past gravel pit). Turn right (south) onto Road #72 and follow for 7.3 miles to Road #7250. Turn left onto Road #7250 and travel 2.0 miles to Road #7250210. There is a small 210 sign in the small trees at this junction. (Did not see this) #7250-210 goes straight, #7250 angles down to the right. Follow road #7250-210 0.5 mile to trailhead. Parking for 5-8 cars. FS road #72 is a pretty good gravel road with some wash boarding and a few pot holes. FS road #7250 is also pretty good gravel road, but there are more and deeper potholes. On the return, we missed the turn from 7250 to 72 (or went the wrong direction) and ended up taking FS 72 down to Hwy 410 (good gravel road, but longer gravel than the other way). Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Snow on trail | No water source
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
On FS Rd 72 from Hwy 410, we spotted rays of light near Rainier and conditions improved throughout the day....
On FS Rd 72 from Hwy 410, we spotted rays of light near Rainier and conditions improved throughout the day. There are some snow spots along the fist couple miles of trail, but they are not difficult to navigate (thanks to a trail run that went through here last week).
Lupine is still coming out here and there are deep magenta Painbrush, as well as Columbine, Bear Grass, many more. Our group of 11 had lunch along the trail, then headed up to Noble Knob in the early afternoon. It was a bit of a traffic jam up there, with people and dogs, but we still enjoyed ourselves and soaked up the views and the sunshine. To leave no stone unturned, while heading back to the main trail, we took the fork that heads to the sw side of the Knob where there are interesting rock formations and a little different view of Rainier.
Dalles Ridge, Noble Knob
— Jul 23, 2011
— jvc
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Snow on trail | Bugs
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
Trip to Dalles Ridge trailhead was long, but uneventful. Some loose rock on road makes you want to be careful.
Some...
Trip to Dalles Ridge trailhead was long, but uneventful. Some loose rock on road makes you want to be careful.
Some downfall in first mile to 1.5 miles. Then you hit snow. Small patches at first, leading to a good 1.5 miles of solid snow. We ended up descending downward to a shelf, then dead reckoning toward Noble Nob. When we were close, we cut uphill and managed to hit the trail. After a few other sections of snow, we ended up at Noble Nob, which was generally clear. We then descended down through Noble Nob trial head on FS 7222 - which some SAR folks opened. |
WTA worked here!
2011
Map it
|
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
